RWBY:Crimson Ghoul
by GoofyDoober
Summary: He always wondered if ghouls had an afterlife and if they did, would he deserve it... No. Death was probably the best choice for him. After all the things he's done, it was the punishment he deserved. With his last breaths he looked at the full moon. 'It's beautiful,' he thought and closed his eyes. Rated M for violence, gore, and language.
1. OC BIO

**RWBY: Crimson Ghoul**

 **Greetings and salutations, I am the GoofyDoober. As you can imagine this is my first fanfiction. If you can't tell already this is a crossover with Tokyo Ghoul and RWBY. If you haven't seen either, I'd personally ask you do.**

 **This shall be rated M, for blood, gore and because it's Tokyo Ghoul. Which let's be honest, is self-explanatory. This will include an OC main. So enough of my blabbing, let's get to the BIO!**

 **OC Character Bio**

Name: Isaac Keller aka Crimson Knight

Gender: Male

Species: Artificial One-Eyed Ghoul

Age: 16

Height: 5'6

Hair Color: Platinum Blonde

Appearance: Isaac has messy hair with bangs long enough to go over his crystal blue eyes. His face is rather childlike with smooth pale skin. A small, faint blush accompanies his cheeks that can be easily missed at first glance. His appearance allows most CCG agents and people feel unthreatened in his presence and gives off a certain sense of innocence. His face, although appearing juvenile and immature, can adopt a serious expression when needed. His shoulders are wide with a leniently muscled upper body with defined musculature that slims straight downward. Isaac has a total of three precise surgical scars along the back of his shoulders, waist, and coccyx.

Clothing: He wears a black, skin-tight battle suit. The top starts at his neck clinging down his body to his lean hips like a second skin. He wears simple black cargo shorts with many pockets and prefers to go shoe-less. The upper part of his suit is covered and lined in chains that crisscross over his shoulders to his hips. The ends of the chains drape haphazardly behind his back. His kakuja mask is a red helmet that covers the full of his face and hides all of his facial features until the back of his head. There are 3 one-inch holes where each eye should be. A pattern of triangles stretches across the helmet where the mouth should be. At his will, the pattern can grotesquely open into a voracious maw. **(A/N: Basically Lucy's Helmet from Elfen Lied)**

Kagune: Isaac was the first artificial chimera ghoul type with 3 types of kagune. His Ukaku type is bony and protrudes in many directions from his back in the formation of wings. It can fork out like tree branches or stick together becoming large lumbering masses. He usually forms it into a bluish-red blade on his right hand for melee purposes and like all Ukaku types, it can shoot torrents of condensed Rc cells, his in the shape of bony spikes. He also has a Rinkaku kagune that are red, slender and spindly like spider legs. They're not particularly sturdy, but if broken, can regenerate back easily. Finally, his Bikaku kagune is a naturally well versatile, red tail. He is able to adjust the size of it greatly and it ends with a scorpion-like tip. His Bikaku kakuja forms a cluster of Rc cells that represents a discombobulated tail. It can be used as a deadly flail and is able to throw bombs of Rc cells that explode into crystal pits of deadly spikes.

Hobbies: He usually star-gazes when he can, to calm himself and relax. Although he doesn't do it often, when he does read, he prefers non-fiction and facts, having a particular soft spot for the biology of ghouls. But that doesn't stop him from reading a good fiction story now and then if it's interesting enough for his tastes. When he had spare time in the Aogiri Tree he trained his body and strength frequently.

Personality: Isaac has a calm and bubbly demeanor and finds it quite easy to talk and connect to people. He prefers a life of optimism instead of basing his life on the negative and likes to avoid conflict when possible. He has a bit of a Devil may care attitude towards adults and superiors so much so that he refuses to use honorifics and simply uses nicknames. Whether they appreciate it or not. In battle, he becomes antsy and a bit of a warmonger against his enemies, sometimes even allies. Although this can simply be because he is a person who shows no pity in death or misfortune allowing him little to no moral restraint, and has only shown emotion in the subjects if the person being hurt is a _true_ friend. The only human quality greatly appreciated in him is mercy and will spare those who he sees has no reason to die or no threat. He is a thinker and usually isn't the type to rush into battle without a strategy or plan. He was personally taught by Eto how to read peoples' emotions and has grown to be keen when it comes to human psychology. Allowing him to fluster even the most sophisticated CCG to his advantage commonly by taunting them. Although he seldomly uses this gift when making new friends in a way to _'protect their privacy.'_

History: Isaac lived in the 11th ward as an orphan, often hiding and eating tiny scraps when he could. He was found by Tatara at the age of 10, nearly dead of starvation and was given to Doctor Kanou as a free guinea pig. The doctor recently had the idea of making an artificial chimera ghoul and was determined to make the surgery a success. Luckily it was and thanks to Isaac's young age he was easily taught the ideals of the Aogiri Tree. Isaac loved his new life in the organization and was treated like family, something he never got to have. At the age of 12, he constantly strived to become strong like his superiors at any cost. He went as far to ask Naki to torture him with the same methods of Yamori, knowing that constant harm to a ghoul's body can strengthen it immensely. It was a painful, bloody and grueling process that lasted a month but he refused to give up even when Naki asked him too. After it was done, his was respected by the Aogiri members for keeping his sanity during the process and learned tolerance and control thanks to this experience. When he began cannibalizing for more power, Eto showed him how to control his psychotic tendencies until he developed a full kakuja. He quickly rose to power in the Aogiri Tree and became an executive at the age of 14. For unknown reasons, he decided to leave the organization on good terms and decided to claim his own territory, which was the 21st ward. He conquered, killed and spared many ghouls and humans during his stay there. He was known by CCG as the SS+ ranked Crimson Knight and by ghouls the Merciful Prince for his imposing but forgiving nature. Although not all is going well. The CCG has sent Kishou Arima the Reaper of the CCG to deal with him. It was a hard fought battle but Isaac's chances of winning are now straining.

 **I hope you all enjoy the story while I'll enjoy writing it. THANK YOU AND BYE!**


	2. Welcome to Vale

**RWBY: Crimson Ghoul**

 **(This is the GoofyDoober of the future. I fixed a lot of mistakes in this chapter. There might be a few baby ones left but that's to be expected. Alright Future GoofyDoober out!)**

 **RWBY and Tokyo Ghoul are owned by their respective owners**

 **Chapter 1:**

He didn't stand a chance. He'll admit for a simple SS ranked ghoul, he lasted a lot longer than most ghouls would. That saying something when you're fighting against someone nicknamed White Reaper. Isaac even drew blood against him, he should be proud. But Arima spilled more, gallons more.

 _'What went wrong'_ was a constant phrase that lapped in his mind. Did he not try hard enough? Or was he just too weak in general? It didn't really matter now, he was dying.

Isaac laid on the rundown streets of the 21st ward, missing an arm, hand and a bloody busted knee. His kakuja mask was slightly broken too, his human eye showing, facing the sky. That beautiful star-filled sky.

Isaac so rarely star-gazed lately and he forgot how breathtaking it was. How the stars twinkled and glowed, blending in with the lights of Tokyo, almost like a painting. A small warm smile crept on his face as he looked throughout the sky. The stars were one of few things that could calm him anymore. His eyes darted to each light in the sky until finally settling on the moon. It shined brightly, almost as if it was beholding him. The reaper Arima looked emotionless, allowing him his last gaze of his life, standing a few inches away from him with a bloody IXA at hand.

"It's beautiful," he choked out as Isaac closed his eyes with a distant smile on his face. ' _I wonder what Hell is like_ , _'_ he sneered with his last thoughts. His eyelids grew heavy and body numb as he faded from existence.

* * *

"Hmph, Hell is better than I thought," Isaac spoke coarsely as he laid in an alleyway. He felt kind of blank mentally. His body was aching and numb at the same time. Isaac turned his head to the left expecting something surprising. What actually surprised him more was that it was just a wall. He turned his to the right to find more wall. Isaac glared at the wall greatly confused. He grunted as he slowly leaned up, his muscles screaming at him the entire way but he paid them no mind. He leaned on his two hands, as he sat up and looked around him. It seemed that he was in between two cobblestone buildings.

Isaac's mouth was slightly agape looking at the scenery. If this is hell then something should at least be disturbing. He stood up on his feet and slowly walked out of the alleyway, with a slight limp in his foot. He stumbled out into the middle of an empty street, falling on his knees. Cars and quiet houses lined it up and down. He was so confused. Even if he somehow survived, this isn't wasn't he was. Isaac looks up into the sky trying to get any detail on his location. His eye widened as he stared the ominous sight.

"What the hell?" he mumbled as he stood tall on shaky feet. "W-What happened to the moon?"

It was completely broken. It was like somebody took a huge chunk out of it. But why? Not only does this place not look like heaven or hell, but the moon is shattered too! Isaac grabbed his head in frustration and confusion and noticed something else. His helmet was gone. His precious helmet that reminded him of home. As long as he had that he knew he was safe.

Isaac slowly began to calm himself, breathing in and out, as he focused on his missing mask and not the world around him. He let his hands fall off his face and focused his Rc cells into making it. Red tendrils grow from the middle of the neck and begin to cover his face, forming the eye holes until finally stopping at the back of his head. Isaac let out at a tired sigh and began to rethink his situation.

His body was sore but more or less fine and so was his clothing. Two, everything around him seemed perfectly normal, well except for the sky anyway. But he'll freak out over that later. It could simply be another ward. Why and how he would get here, he had no idea. Third and most importantly he was starving. He nearly double over in pain at the new realization.

Isaac grabs his stomach as it rumbles. He hasn't been this hungry in a while. He forgot what this pain was like. _'Ok, eating first and figuring where I am second.'_ He nodded to himself in confirmation. He slowly stood up on unsteady legs. Wondering if they're any thuggish humans or ghouls around, he starts hastily traveling through the streets of Vale. After a few minutes of walking, he feels the strength in his legs come back to him. As a test he crouches down and focuses all his strength into his legs. He shoots up through the air and lands on a building. "I still got it," he says as he launches onto building after building.

Unbeknownst to him, Isaac was being watched.

* * *

"Well they seem thuggish enough," Isaac muttered on a rooftop staring over strange people who he thought were ghouls because of their masks, but he's never seen a group of ghouls with such masks...or animal parts. He found them by chance really. They were make quite a bit of noise in the middle of the night.

"We need to start hauling! Adam wants these dust crates on the Bullheads immediately!" A man with a black furry tail commanded to what seemed to be grunt soldiers of some kind.

"Yes, Lieutenant!" multiple grunts responded enthusiastically and began to load crates into a warehouse.

" _Dust?_ What's Dust _?_ " Isaac mumbled as he looked over the Faunus. They were at the docks and were loading crates into an abandoned warehouse. People were constantly coming in and out of the building to get more of this _"Dust"_ from giant blue metal containers. Judging by the time of night and uniforms, they were stealing this material. He was aiming for a purse stealer, but any type of crime was good for him. He cracks his knuckles and jumps off the building, landing stealthily. In a leisurely fashion, he began walking towards them. He could feel his hands twitch with anticipation.

A White Fang grunt stretching his back was the first to notice him. If it wasn't for the black rubber battle suit lined in chains and the strange helmet, he could've played it off as being a normal kid. But Isaac honestly didn't care about blending in, he was just hungry. "Hey kid, who are and what are you doing here?" the deer Faunus questioned. Isaac didn't reply but stopped walking and simply stared at the man. He crossed his arms, daring him to do something. Isaac's entire demeanor ticked him off in an unsettling way.

"John, who are you talking to?" a female dog Faunus asked her friend as she walked towards him.

"Oh Mary, this kid walked in out of nowhere and won't say anything," the newly named John explained, pointing at Isaac.

The girl looked over the boy and visibly cringed at his appearance. She felt the same uneasiness that her comrade did. It's when you look at someone that you just know is up to no good. "Just bring him to the boss, he'll know what to do with him," she suggested.

John simply shrugged. "Gotcha," he said and began to walk towards Isaac. "Okay kid, come with me and everything will be fine," the man began to reach out for him. Before his hand could touch Isaac, the ghoul grabbed it violently and crushed the bones in the man's arm. Isaac pulled him closer and cocked his hand back into a balled fist.

The man could only gasp in pain before Isaac shoved his hand straight through the man's skull and brain, coming out the other end bloodied and covered in brain matter. With a wet and gushing sound, Isaac pulled his hand out the faunus's head. The man's body slumps down to his knees, lifeless.

Isaac put the bloodied hand on the dead man's shoulder and grabbed his arm with the other.

And pulled.

Another series of revolting sounds of meat tearing and bone popping was heard until the dead man's arm came off. Getting exactly what he wanted, Isaac let go of the man's shoulder and stepped to the side, letting the body drop onto the concrete. He brought the arm to his face sniffing deeply of the fresh flesh. The zigzag line where his mouth would be opened and allowed him access to the flesh in front him. Isaac brought his mouth closer and took a bite. Satisfying blood and meat filled his mouth, tasting like the greatest treat. He let the taste water in his mouth before he swallowed.

 _ **Gulp**_

He could immediately feel his ghoul body acting to the new nourishment. Isaac wasted no time in taking bite after bite of the arm, getting as much meat as he could from the meal. Mary could only watch in paralyzed horror as she watched her dear friend get killed in front of her and have his arm ripped off and eaten like a drumstick. Blood and sinew savagely dropped to concrete as he paid the woman no mind. "W-What the hell...," she muttered with her lip quivering. Isaac slowly turned towards the girl as her heart skipped a beat.

All of a sudden, a red haze appeared at his lower back before a spindly and jointed red appendage shot out, easily being six feet tall in length. She could only scream for a moment before Isaac's Rinkaku shot straight through her ribs. She looks down at her pierced chest right before he withdraws it from her, letting her fall to the ground. Her blood pooled on the solid concrete. Isaac turns his attention to the half-eaten arm in his hands and takes one more big bite before dropping it.

He swallows and slowly turns toward the front of the warehouse. Everyone outside was staring at him looking terrified and appalled. Even the Lieutenant looked as if he would pee himself at any moment. The mouth section of his helmet then closes again as he hunched over.

Seven more of his kagune, same as the last, shoot out of his lower back. Four on each side similar to a spider. They twitched and shimmered ominously as Isaac began to walk forward. The Lieutenant saw this as a good time to take action. He took in a large breath and yelled.

 **"FIRE!"**

The White Fang quickly brought out their weapons. Some machine-guns, and some sidearm pistols ready to fire. Unfortunately, they were not quick enough to fire as Isaac sticks his appendages into the ground, propelling him forward and into the sky. While in the air he forms his Ukaku kagune. Each wing growing and simultaneously overlapping itself with hardened tendrils. His Rinkaku aimed towards eight guards on each side of him.

They could barely even run as they were all rammed through by his Rinkaku, becoming shish kabobs.

 _'11 left,'_ his blood-addled mind told himself.

Isaac's kagune penetrated the ground, keeping him hoisted in the air. Isaac's Ukaku wings bulge and splinter as he thrusts them towards the group in front of him, sending out a volley of long, hardened thorns. These soldiers had actually begun firing.

The crimson thorns clashed against the bullets, but the density of the wave was much stronger and killed ten White Fang, leaving only the Lieutenant who was able to survive with one thorn sticking in his side. In the span of a few seconds Isaac had taken out, nineteen armed fighters like it was child's play and was going to finish the job. Isaac's Rinkaku lowered himself down to the ground as he stared at the Lieutenant, pointing his Ukaku wings straight at him. The Lieutenant was breathing heavily as his aura tried healing his injuries and pulled out a walkie-talkie. _"_ _This is your Lieutenant do you copy!"_ he sounded desperate, hoping someone would respond.

 _"Sir, I hear you loud and clear! What's happening, who's attacking_ us?! _"_ The person on the other side sounded frantic. They heard gunfire and screaming and were afraid to go outside.

 _"I don't know just prepa-,"_ his sentence was cut short as Isaac shot forward and shoved his hardened wings into the Lieutenant's chest while still looking him in the eyes. "Pre..pare your...selves." he choked out as Isaac aggressively ripped him in two with his wings. Isaac waves the blood of his hand, nonchalantly as he began to calm down.

"...I think I went a bit overboard," Isaac complained to himself as he looked around. He sighed and his crossed arms in disappointment, _'I haven't been that consumed by hunger in a while. I guess that's a good thing_.' He looked at the warehouse. The helmeted ghoul was surprised that they all listened to the Lieutenant and stayed inside to prepare. "Well they all know I'm here so I guess I have no reason to hold back," he said deciding to embrace his blood lust for now. But while he had the time, he decided to think on some things.

These people were definitely not ghouls and were more or less human, although their animal parts are...disconcerting. Also none them seem to be CCG, thank god. He didn't want to mess with them after what happened with Arima. He wanted to lay off their radar for a while.

Isaac cleared his thoughts and walked towards the warehouse that suddenly went quiet. _'My Bikaku might come in handy in this situation,'_ he thought as a red mist formed at his hip. A nine foot long and a foot wide tail, ending with a sharp point, slithered out. With a Bikaku as large as his, small contained areas became his specialty. Fully prepared, Isaac walks towards the warehouse doors that were open and ominously dark. He was surprised again they had half a mind not to attack as he started moving in. He could guess that they wanted him fully inside before they started firing.

He walked into the middle of the old building slowly, chains jingling as he moved. The place was filled with crates and boxes which they were undoubtedly hiding behind. He looked up to see people aiming over railings on each side of the building, connected by a bridge. They were trained on his movements. _'These guys aren't too smart are they?'_ Isaac smirked and used his tail to jump up and land in between the crowd of the catwalk.

Everyone began to panic. People move out from the cover of boxes and start searching for him. While the people on the rafters pull out swords and other assortments of melee weapons. Isaac swings his huge tail behind him, smashing multiple people's bones and sending bodies into each other. He jumps back into the newfound space and crouches on all fours. He swings his tail over him sending it into a White Fang soldiers head with a sickening crunch. The massive force blows him back into the others behind him. Isaac wraps his Ukaku wings on both arms, forming corkscrew blades as he stood up.

Though the blades end up being shorter and less durable, they were perfect in this situation. He dashed forward cutting a man completely in two. He pushes the body to the side and does a 360 spin, slicing a group of people in half. Isaac then jumps and does a somersault in mid-air slamming his tail onto another group of White Fang. The metal dents and buckles under the massive force.

White Fang on the other side of the warehouse began to fire at him. The ghoul without even looking, expertly weaves through all the bullets fired at him. Isaac turns towards them and reels back his Rinkaku. He thrusts them forward with deadly accuracy. Those not fast enough to duck were all nailed to the wall. The White Fang below wouldn't dare fire at their angle, lest they shoot their brethren. But one did not share the same concern as he pulls out a dust grenade from a crate, pulls the pin and throws it.

Isaac was oblivious to the grenade being thrown as he tries to withdraw his Rinkaku from the wall. He loses his patience and simply lets them fade into mist. An Owl Faunus tries to take advantage of his situation and runs up to him, sword raised. Isaac ducks and kicks the owl Faunus directly in the chest, crushing their ribs. He pulls back and sends a storm of thorns behind him with his Ukaku blades, cutting down a group of Faunus. He then suddenly feels something metal, bonk against his helmet. He looks down to see a round metal object fall to the ground. Isaac responds with a _'tsk'_ before jumping over the railing just in time to escape a fiery explosion.

The man who threw the grenade runs forward with an over-sized machete and lunges at the ghoul boy. The blade snaps on contact only making a slight ding sound on his helmet, but the ghoul paid it no mind as he looked up. The fiery inferno that the Faunus man started, consumed the people he was fighting on the railings. They scream in agony as the ones not killed by the explosion were being roasted by the flames.

Isaac grows agitated at the waste of life. Why would this man kill his own friends and fighters without a second thought! It was complete idiocy to just kill comrades without thinking of the consequences! He turns towards the Faunus as he starts to back away in fear. "You wanted to kill me so bad, that you killed your own people!" Isaac snapped as his three eye holes where each of his eyes should be, slightly enlarged becoming pitch black with a red iris surrounding them all. He felt a primal rage build in him and he released it.

 ** _"P_ EOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!"** his voice became distorted with rage. His Ukaku blades grow and sharpen. His tail bulges and thickens menacingly. His Rinkaku explode out of his back, but the underside now covered in sharp spines. Finally his Bikaku kakujan, disjointed and obtuse at the end grows. Wrapping around his body and raising over his shoulder. It resembled a flail but the spikes and ball were a glassy black.

Isaac sticks his blades into the sides of the man's chest then rips him in half, covering himself in blood and gore. His kakujan flicks a spiky ball towards the entrance, exploding into a blockade of black glass spikes with red tips, blocking them in. His tail flails about violently in the room, slamming people into boxes filled with fire dust causing explosions. His Rinkaku stabs randomly, impaling and stabbing people at breakneck speeds, to quick for anyone to process. White Fang ran terrified as they tried to search for cover.

He sent wide arcs of shards from his Ukaku blades at people trying to run and hide. Blood from his spastic attacks splatters on his mask, making him see a literal red haze. Isaac roars and shoots forward, cutting down everyone that gets in his way. From cutting them in half to dismembering them completely. Each cut and slash splattered his clothing in more and more blood and gore, coloring him Crimson. The rampage continued for 5 minutes, until every White Fang harmless or not, was ripped apart.

* * *

"Sir, I don't understand why this is necessary," Glynda told the headmaster next to her.

"We both saw the footage Glynda, that young man looked prepared for battle. It is more likely than not, that he's involved in this," he explained to his trusted partner before taking a sip of his coffee.

"If I may ask Ozpin, why do you wish to see this boy so much?" Glynda asks as she narrows her eyes at her boss.

"I simply wish to speak with him, ask some questions," Ozpin held a very small grin, knowing why she asked. She only sighed as she brings her attention to her scroll. She knew he _really_ wanted to know.

Based off his physique, a boy was seen heading towards the docks of Vale where White Fang activity was spotted. Glynda knew Ozpin would probably give them the same proposition that he gave Miss Rose if he truly went to fight them. She just hoped that the boy would end up being more mature than her. She wouldn't deny that Ruby was a strong fighter, but she was still too young. She deserves more time to mature in the Academy before Beacon.

The Bullhead driver told them they would be landing soon and they stood, waiting for the door to open. Ozpin swore he heard the pilot gag but didn't ask why. When it did open, they were both mortified to see dead bodies littered outside a warehouse, all brutally killed. Glynda looked as if she would lose her lunch, never seeing such blatant murder achieved in a short amount of time. Ozpin scowled for a moment, looking down at a dismembered arm. His face returned to being stoic as he walked forward. "Who would do this?" Glynda muttered as she observed the slaughter. Not even the White Fang deserved such treatment. They both got closer and closer to the closed off doors of the warehouse. Black crystals with red tips blocked the opening.

They turned and nodded at each other before Glynda broke the barricade with her telekinesis.

She wished she hadn't.

They both witnessed a repulsive mess. Gore and viscera were strewn across the walls, drenching the room. White Fang operatives' body parts were scattered across the floor endlessly. Crushed dust boxes obviously exploded, creating patches of black soot, mixing with the blood. The dust that didn't explode glowed ominously on the floor. The whole entire atmosphere of the room was heavy and reeked of metallic copper.

Ozpin and Glynda then both noticed a figure standing in the middle of the slaughter. A young man wearing a black rubber suit that was draped in bloody chains, dripping every few seconds. His black cargo shorts were stained with blood, ruining the perfect dye. But what disturbed them most was the blank strange mask the person wore on their face. Showing no emotion to the carnage around him. Isaac had heard them coming in and seethed all of his kagunes, hoping that he wouldn't need to kill more tonight.

Glynda readied her riding crop, pointing it at the figure. The ghoul slowly turns towards Glynda with a blank stare that made her _shiver._ But Ozpin gestured a hand to stop her. He turns to the ghoul with a stoic expression. "Excuse me, young man, may I ask if you did...this?" Ozpin said gesturing to the bloody mess on the walls.

Isaac said nothing for a moment, thinking on how to respond. "Yes...I did," he said monotone, nodding sagely.

"Can you tell me why?" he questioned, narrowing his eyes at the ghoul.

The ghoul only shrugged. "They were stealing all of this 'Dust'. Is that not a good reason?" he taunted with no emotion.

Ozpin let out a tired sigh before speaking. "You do have a point, but all this was not necessary... What is our name young man?"

Isaac wondered if he should give an alias or his real name. They seemed to be pretty reasonable with him despite being covered in blood, and besides he could always run away or kill them. "My name is...Isaac Keller," he replied hesitantly.

"Well Isaac, my name is Ozpin. Do you mind if we step outside a bit, get some fresh air?" Ozpin gestured behind him.

"...Sure," he replied. Ozpin and Glynda, who was watching Isaac with caution, turned and left the warehouse for the more tolerable massacre outside. Once they got a few feet away from it, Isaac began to unravel his helmet as an act of trust. Secrets now would only make him seem less trustworthy. As they turned around, the two hunters were surprised to see how young Isaac looked. His child-like face wore a careless expression and was clean from the gore that decorated his body. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Isaac asked raising a questioning eyebrow.

Ozpin turned towards Glynda who was looking at him with a disapproving glare. "I take it you know about Huntsman?"

"Of course I do," he lied to them.

"Well, in that case, have you ever thought of directing your time and energy into doing that instead of this?" Ozpin questioned.

"I have," Isaac lied again.

"Then would you like to become a student at Beacon, as headmaster I can grant you access?" he suggested to the young ghoul.

Isaac looked a bit perturbed by the offer. "Yeah sure, it seems I've got nothing better to do."

Ozpin let out small, but notable smile. "I'm glad. But know that school starts soon. I'd recommend you start studying."

"Trust me I will. So if you need I'm gonna go... Goodbye." he said quietly as he zoomed off towards the residential area of Vale, wanting out of the strange situation.

The headmaster watched him run off at lightning speeds while taking a sip of his coffee. "Well, he'll be an interesting student," he said with a tired sigh.

Glynda stood furious. "Ozpin! I can understand why with Ruby Rose, but why him!"

Ozpin shrugged. "Why not, it's not like he's going to do this at Beacon."

"Sir, you know that's not the point. People who can do this," she gestured to the death around them. "Are dangerous."

"I know he's dangerous Glynda. But that's why I want to have faith in this boy."

Glynda looked confused. "Faith? In what?"

"Faith that he can be a better person. This isn't the first time I've offered second chances to troubled youths."

"First of all, if he hadn't shown his face you wouldn't have offered him that choice. And in all due respect sir, he seemed far from troubled."

"Well, we'll see if he truly is then." Ozpin sipped on his coffee as he stared in the direction the ghoul ran off to. Glynda gave up on arguing, seeing that Ozpin made up his mind. She began walking back to the Bullhead trying to look away from the massacre. Ozpin stared into the distance one last time before following shortly after.

* * *

 _'Well they were interesting,'_ Isaac told himself as he jumped on a high roof of a building. Why would he ask me to go to his school? Sure he never did go to school himself, but only because he never had a way to and learned everything on his own. Why would he even want to at his age?

Isaac pulled out a scroll that he found on one of the dead bodies of the White Fang. The ghoul found it a bit strange. It was like a regular phone save for its strange glass features.

Isaac looked at the still broken moon and decided to embrace this new landscape. He began typing in words, starting with 'Dust' to gain some insight on the world. He greatly wished he kept his curiosity to himself as he began learning more about his new world and situation.

 **A/N: That took longer than I thought it would, I need to make a schedule for these things. Also if anyone is wondering about the future I don't ever plan on taking a month long break. Unless it's something serious of course. Not only that, but I plan on making these chapters longer. Hurray! For the next chapter, Isaac will meet team RWBY and will go through initiation. I wonder how it will end. Now I must bid you adieu. Feel free to ask questions, review or whatever.**


	3. Welcome to Beacon

**HA! You probably though I gave up on the story but I didn't. When I wrote the last chapter I was packing to move. So doing all that took a while. But I'm more or less done so that shouldn't be a problem anymore.**

 **I don't think I'll get to the Initiation in this chapter but I'll make sure it's nice and chunky like this is going to be in the next chapter.**

 **With nothing else to say, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Tokyo Ghoul and RWBY are not owned by me. Really I swear.**

 **Chapter: 2**

* * *

 _'Damn I'm bored'_

That was the thought going through Isaac's head as he rode on an airship to Beacon. He really has no reason to be bored. A ghoul was going to the prestigious Beacon Academy that trains Huntsman and Huntresses to fight the evils in the world. So he should be anxious and excited to gain such a chance of a prosperous future. Though the excitement now pales in comparison to the shit-fest of a time he's had in Vale.

After Isaac figured out that he was in a strange realm of 'Dust', Grimm and Aura called Remnant, he wasn't in the best mindset. How could he? You can't just die and be in another world and be completely calm. Isaac had questions and wanted to go on a rampage until he got answers but from who... that man. That gray-haired headmaster. He had the answers Isaac needed, he saw the wisdom in the man's eyes.

Isaac thought for a moment before searching up something on his stolen scroll. Wasn't stealing if the person was dead.

After searching, he found what he wanted and smiled widely behind his helmet."Ozpin," Isaac said to himself. He remembered the name but wanted more information on his title as headmaster. He was seen as wise and admired by others, even the government. Meaning he might have his answers he so desperately wanted.

Isaac turned and was about to jump off the roof he was on to see the man again. Well, he was until he stopped himself mid-step.

"What the hell am I doing," Isaac muttered under his breath. Panicking was the worst thing to do at the moment. Isaac already had the opportunity for greater answers in his palm, _and_ staring him in the face. He turned back around to see the shadow of Beacon, home of that headmaster and most importantly of grand knowledge. There's no telling how much information he could gain from there.

 _'I never went to school before,_ ' Isaac inwardly mused and looked at the scroll in his hand. _'Guess I better start studying.'_

Like that Isaac made up his mind to accept the invitation to Beacon and started searching up multiple words to gain as much knowledge as he could. He had a bit of time before school started so it was best if he got himself situated. Isaac immediately was amazed by this new world. There was a strange substance called 'Dust'. Strange elemental crystals that helped humanity push back the Grimm. Grimm were strange dark creatures that lack a soul and have been fighting humans for centuries; interesting. He wondered how strong they were.

Aura: A manifestation of one's soul that protects its user. _'I wonder if it has more offensive capabilities,_ ' Isaac asked himself. The ghoul turned completely giddy after learning about semblances. Special innate abilities that everybody had!? Such potential power along with aura could improve his strength immensely, he can't wait to unlock his. Dying for such power isn't such a raw deal after all.

After he learned all he could on the internet about Remnant and Vale he started to explore. He kept himself hidden in the day studying people. And at night he walked about freely. But one night, on the streets of Vale he found someone getting robbed and beaten to the ground. His nose was broken, blood on his green t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He was the textbook definition of a civilian, what was he even doing here? What caught his attention, even more, was the man robbing the guy. A full black suit and pants, save for the red glasses and tie. Isaac had seen these guys walking the streets for quite a while, but paid them no mind. Mostly because they were never in his way, they technically aren't now. It was his fault for even being in this part of the city, after all. Isaac was about to walk away until the man getting beat to the ground looked at Isaac with hopeful eyes.

Isaac mentally cursed, deciding he had no reason not to help. After all what kind of ghoul would he be if he didn't set some _'territory'_.

He cracked his knuckles and rushed towards the thug. Hearing the sound of chains on Isaac's clothing he turned around a second too late. Isaac sliced the thug's neck with the only sound being a whistle of the wind. Small beads of blood form on his neck and with a spray of blood, his head falls clean off with a dull thud. ' _Must've hit him to quickly to activate his "aura", that means it's more or less mentally activated,'_ Isaac deduced. _'Knowing this will make battles easier.'_

Isaac then remembered why he did this and looked towards the young man who was getting robbed. He looked at the ghoul with a mix of awe and horror. Seeing this as a good time to leave, Isaac continued to walk down the dark streets of Vale without a word. Seeing his savior leaving, the beaten man quickly got up and limped towards Isaac. "Hey wait!" the man yelled hoping to gain Isaac's attention. When he did the ghoul turned to see what he wanted. "What's your name, who are you?" Isaac went rigid at the question.

He thought about telling his original alias but thought against it. The 'Crimson Knight' died in Tokyo and should stay there. This is a new life and he needs a new name. Isaac stood there thinking for a while before coming up with a name that suited him ironically.

 **"I am the Crimson Ghoul."**

He then turned around and continued down the street, not saying another word.

* * *

That's how it happened.

Reports of the _Crimson Ghoul of Vale_ spread across the kingdom like wildfire. Apparently, the man Isaac saved told the police and friends _all_ about him. It spread everywhere. To the high society and thieving street-rats, they all learned his name and face or more so his helmet. During the day people began seeing and instead of being scared they saw him as an ominous protector. Some people even tried to fight him. But all that succeeded in doing was giving him a food source.

The victims would fall easily. Of course, he spared a few here and there but they would still end up in the hospital. He also made sure only to use his hands. Using his Kagune in public eye could make things problematic.

The Crimson Ghoul became a celebrity, a supposed vigilante that was taking names and was currently attending school at Beacon.

Needless to say, it drew a few eyes.

Now Isaac or the "Crimson Ghoul" was sitting on a bench, staring down at his feet, hunched over. Just trying to ignore all the stares. He felt over thirty eyes on him and it was unnerving. Not because he wasn't a friendly guy, it was just overwhelming. A few people actually came up to him saying "Hi" or "Can I have your autograph" which made him feel a little better.

There was one guy though with blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes and kind of lanky figure. He wore an armor chest plate with shoulder guards and a hoodie underneath. Strapped to his blue jeans were two crisscrossed belts and a sword in a white sheath. As Isaac looked closer, his face was kind of green.

He sat next to Isaac trying to calm his stomach not even noticing the person next to him. Isaac was curious and decided to ask what's wrong. The blonde boy looked surprised at his appearance for a moment but paid it no mind. "Ugh, just some motion sickness," he said groggily trying to keep his lunch down. Being a ghoul, Isaac always had trouble keeping human food down when he needed to blend in and decided to help the blond boy.

"Just breathe in and out slowly. Water also tends to helps," he told him from experience.

Deciding to take his advice the blonde breathed in and out as instructed and his skin began to lose it's sickly green tint. He let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, man I appreciate it." Jaune stuck out his hand for Isaac to shake. "The names Jaune Arc, ladies love it."

Isaac chuckled, "I'm sure they do Jaune." Isaac shook the boy's hand, a smile present behind his helmet. "The name is...Crimson," he paused at first to decide whether or not to use his fake name.

"Huh, Crimson, cool name," Jaune withdrew his hand and stood up. "Well, I'm going to try your other suggestion. You know with the water, better to be safe than sorry. See ya later." Jaune walked off timidly trying not to upset his stomach again.

' _Nice guy,_ ' Isaac thought as he watched Jaune walk off to the nearest water fountain. Isaac took in a deep breath and stood up, letting out a grunt while stretching his legs. He looked out the airship window. It was rather cloudy but he could tell they'd be reaching Beacon soon. _'Well if we are landing soon, might as well explore.'_ Isaac began to walk off with eyes following him the entire way.

As he walked through the airship hallways he had to admit, there were a few interesting characters here with interesting weapons. All with individual skills and plans for the future. He found it strange how they all seemed radiate with strength. But he knew that they wouldn't be able to touch him without Quinqes. Another thing he was very glad about. Those damned weapons made any life hell as a ghoul. He still had nightmares of Arima's IXA. Although while on the talk of weapons...

Isaac stopped in his tracks and looked at his right hand. He found a seat and sat down again. Isaac decided that his Ukaku would be his main weapon at Beacon unless the situation called for more.

Ukaku wings unleash from his shoulders and form around his right arm into a blade. It held a mixing of red and blue, forming a bit of a purple tint that shined like metal. With dangerous edges and long slender tip, it forms muscle like joints on the shoulder and elbow to allow maneuverability. The design is overall like a corkscrew, twisting in a pattern.

Recently he's been training with it trying to see if it could generate lightning. It was a very rare and useful trait that Ukaku type ghouls could have in their kagune and he was determined to understand the power and desperately hoped one could gain it without the genetics of someone who already possessed it. From his knowledge, not even Ayato or Eto possessed it, which were very powerful ghouls. _'Huh, Eto and Ayato, wonder how they're doing.'_ Isaac thought about his family in a daze while staring at his weapon.

"I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" the blonde bombshell hugged her little sister.

 _'What the?'_ Isaac looked up to see two girls on the other side of the airship hallway talking to each other. The shorter one could best be described as a gothic lolita in Japan. She had bright silver eyes and black hair with red tips that went to her shoulders. She wore a black dress and blouse with red trimmings. There were two cross pins that held her red cape to her shoulders. Around her waist was an ammo belt with a silver insignia of a rose. She looked rather young compared to everyone else here, strange.

The other girl looked her age. She had lilac eyes and long bright blonde hair that seemed a bit chaotic as it curled in random directions. The girl wore an orange scarf around her neck, a tan vest that revealed her midriff and under that, she wore a yellow crop top that covered the lower part of her...bust. Her belt resembled a skirt in the back and wore black short shorts. Her clothing was revealing, to say the least, but didn't bother Isaac much. But he would admit they were both quite beautiful.

"Really sis, it was nothing," the black haired girl told her sister when she let go.

"What do you mean, it was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees!" she said excited that her little sister will be with her at Beacon.

"I don't wanna be the bees-knees! I don't want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees," Ruby tried to convince her sister.

"Preacher to the choir with that one," Isaac said aloud looking to the side absentmindedly.

"See! They know what I mean. Wait what?" the two girls turned towards the boy with looks of confusion.

Yang's eyes widen as she saw the Crimson Ghoul. She saw him once on the Bumblebee when she was cruising around the streets of Vale. He was beating the face in of one of Junior's numerous thugs. He was actually surrounded by them, closing in with red blades and axes. She was going to run in their fist first to help until a huge red tail sprouted from his hip. Isaac spun it in a 360, sending everyone around him high into the air.

The tail then slammed down bringing multiple thugs with it, smashing them into the ground with a red splat of blood. Yang put her hand to her mouth to hold in a gasp. As quick as it came, the tail disappeared in a red mist. Those who didn't get slammed fell to the ground unconscious or groaning in pain. Isaac thought about killing the rest since he used his kagune in front of them but doubted they could've seen it in the panic. So he decided to spare them. He picked up one the unconscious bodies, slung it over his shoulder and started to walk away like nothing happened. Yang was wary and curious about the Crimson Ghoul. A merciful killer but wouldn't hesitate to kill you if you got in his way. Why would someone like him be here?

Ruby, being the innocent girl she is, saw a young boy wearing a red helmet, rubber suit covered in chains, simple cargo shorts and strangely no shoes. But the coolest thing about him was the blade that covered his arm.

"Ohmygod your weapon is so cooool!" Ruby rushed up to him with stars in her eyes resulting with an _'eep_ ' from Isaac. "What's it made of made of, is it part of your clothing, how heavy is it?!" she shot off question after question at lightning speeds.

Isaac shrunk farther and farther into his seat at each question until he was saved by her sister. Yang grabbed her by the cloak, pulling her away. "Whoa baby sis, you can't just bombard people with questions like that," Yang chastised her little sister as Ruby pouted.

"I know but their weapon is so cool!" she looked at Isaac and saw how surprised he looked even behind his helmet and decided to apologize. "Uh, sorry, I just get really excited about weapons, they're like an extension of ourselves, part of our being! Literally for you!" she started to calm down. "But, we got off on the wrong foot, I'm Ruby Rose, what's your name," she held out her right hand then quickly switched it for her left seeing that the other one was occupied.

"I-It's fine," Isaac relaxed and shook Ruby's hand. "My name is Crimson, nice to meet you Ruby," he said politely

Ruby seemed confused by his name and was about to ask about it before she was slightly pushed aside by her big sister. "Is Crimson your real name?" Yang asked suspiciously.

"As far as you know," Isaac replied crossing his arms.

Yang smirked and crossed her arms as well. "Well _Crimson,_ my name is Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's big sister."

Isaac stood up. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ruby, Yang."

Yang scooted closer to the ghoul. "So Crimson what brings you to Beacon, huh?" she nudged Isaac questioningly.

Isaac refused to give her a real answer. "I'm afraid that doesn't concern you, Xiao Long. All you need to know is that I come to be a huntsman."

Yang huffed but accepted the answer, albeit begrudgingly. She would figure out sooner or later.

Isaac let out a breath of relief as the sisters' attention were gained by a news report about Roman Torchwick.

He actually kind of liked that guy. He was wary and conniving in all the right ways. Quite the interesting person to talk to if you're not trying to kill him. He met him when he was leaving a bar. They walked and talked and Roman actually offered him a job, but he declined respectfully. Currently, he's the only person allowed access to his territory of Vale. Not even his thugs are. The screen then turned to a Faunus rights protest that was disrupted by the White Fang. Isaac growled at the mere mention of their name.

He absolutely despised the White Fang. He didn't hate their cause and really not even their actions. He just hated their outlook. The very thought of the extermination of humans was a ludicrous idea. There were a few ghouls who wanted to achieve such a goal and they all perished trying. The only thing they accomplished was making their kind seem more like monsters. The White Fang were doing the same thing, damning their species to be seen as animals. How can they not see that?

He was spared of his anger as another familiar face appeared on the screen. She was with Ozpin when they met and was rightfully cautious of him. Another thing Isaac was curious about. Why do you ask someone covered in blood and gore to join your school? The woman was scared, why wasn't he? Isaac could only guess the headmaster wanted to learn more about him. _'Or he's waiting for his chance to kill me, which would honestly make more sense.'_

"Hello and welcome to Beacon," a holographic Glynda addresses the freshmen of the school.

"Who's that?" Yang asks Ruby.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

Both Yang and Isaac respond with an 'Oh' and turn to each other in surprise. Glynda continues, "You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace and as future huntsman and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it."

"No promises," Isaac mumbled sarcastically, low enough for only him to hear.

"You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task and now it is _our_ turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world," Glynda's hologram disappears and is replaced with the view of Vale. Multiple students crowd to the windows to see the view including Isaac, Ruby, and Yang.

"Look! You can see Signal from up here," Ruby says as she looks through the window to see Vale below.

The view made him smile. "I'll admit, this place looks a lot more beautiful from up here," Isaac pressed a hand up against the glass as he looked at the vast city. It almost rivaled the beauty of Tokyo, _almost._

"I guess home isn't too far after all," Ruby smiles

"Beacon's are home now," Yang puts her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

' _For better or for worse?'_ Isaac wondered, remembering his lost home. The moment was soon ruined with the sound of groaning and gagging coming from Jaune. It seemed he made the mistake of looking outside. He stumbles past the group trying to hold in his lunch. Isaac shook his head in pity. "I guess it can't be beautiful for everyone."

"Well, it was nice while it lasted," Ruby said as she watches Jaune stagger for the nearest trash can.

Isaac looks down and sees greenish sludge on Yang's foot. "Yang, it seems you have puke on your shoe," he stated dryly, pointing down at her feet.

Yang looks down and immediately starts to panic. "GrossGrossGrossGrossGross!"

Isaac watches as Yang tries to shake the vomit off her shoe with Ruby simultaneously running away from her. Isaac sighs as he looks out the window, his Ukaku blade fading. _'This will be an...interesting year.'_

* * *

After successfully wiping the vomit off her shoe, Yang, Ruby and Isaac file out the airship. Isaac pats Jaune on the back as he passes him throwing up in a trashcan. "Remember to breathe Jaune." He simply responds with a groan and a thumbs up.

As Isaac stepped out, he was once again amazed by the campus of Beacon.

"Is everything in this city beautiful?" he scoffed

"Seriously, the view of Vale is nothing compared to this," Yang said agreeing with the ghoul.

Ruby instead, was currently swooning over passerby weapons with stars in her eyes. "OOH! Sis, that kid has a classical staff. And she's got a fire sword!" It was Isaac's turn to pull her back by the hood.

"You really are quite the weapon nut aren't you?" he asked her.

"I know right. I think she has a problem," Yang whispered the last part to Isaac gaining a slight chuckle from him.

"I'm not a nut! It's just their weapons are so cool!"

"Can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?" Yang asked

Ruby takes out Crescent Rose making Isaac take a step back. As a ghoul, big weapons always made him uneasy. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose," she holds her scythe happily.

"D-Don't you think that's a bit... overboard Ruby." He points at the large death scythe.

"What! Of course not! Crescent Rose is my heart and joy. That's why I like seeing so many new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better." Ruby says the last part slightly forlorn.

Yang reaches over and pulls Ruby's hood over head. "Ruby, why don't you try to make new friends of you own," Yang said, hoping her sister would break out of her shell.

"But, why would I need to when I have you?" Yang smirked, deviousness evident in her eyes.

"Well one, you have Crimson," she pulled Isaac closer to Ruby. "And, myfriendsareactuallyhererightnowsoI'llseeyoulaterBye!" Yang sped off in a random crowd of people.

Isaac stared slightly slack-jawed as he watched Yang speed off into the distance. _'How did she run so fast and where did those people even come from?'_

"Well that happened, are you alright Ruby?" he turned to the back to the girl who was in a complete daze.

In her confusion, Ruby doesn't notice the approaching luggage trolley filled with suitcases. Isaac tries to pull her out of the way but is a second too late as Ruby trips into the luggage. "What are you doing!" yelled an angry heiress.

Isaac turns towards said owner of luggage. She wore a pale blue bolero jacket with the inside being red along with a knee-high dress, tied with a ribbon around her waist. Her skin was a pale white with blue eyes and her snow white hair being in an off-center ponytail. Strapped to her side was an intricate metal rapier with a revolver chamber filled with an assortment of colors.

Ruby stumbles up. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she tried to apologize.

"Sorry?! Do you know the damage you could've caused? You need to watch where you're going!" Weiss fumed. Isaac wanted to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible and stepped in between them.

"Um, don't you think you're being a bit harsh?" The ghoul asked, choosing his words carefully.

Weiss snapped to him, but lost a bit of her ferocity at Isaac's appearance. She soon gained it back with a little less edge. "Why shouldn't I be angry! She needs to watch where she's going!" Weiss pointed at Ruby.

"Oh, you have every right to be angry." Ruby pouted at Isaac for that. "But does the situation need for such a tongue lashing?" Isaac questioned.

Weiss picked up some of the dropped luggage and brought out a vial of red dust. "Yes, this is why. Dust like this is highly volatile. Who knows what could've happened." Unbeknownst to Weiss, the dust in her hands sent fiery particles towards Ruby making her sneeze. Seeing this, Isaac quickly clamps his fingers on Ruby's nose with one hand and holds Weiss's hand still with the other. Ruby lets out a cute muted sneeze and smoke cartoonishly billows from her mouth. Isaac lets out a sigh as he takes the Dust from Weiss's hand. He taps on the cork, lightly tightening it.

He then hands the vial back to Weiss who looked a bit confused about what just happened. "Now where were we?" Isaac knocks on his helmet trying to remember. "Oh right, I remember."

"Do you think chastising her will help her understand the danger she could've caused?"

Weiss crossed her arms, confident in her answer. "Yes, I think it would."

Isaac smiled behind his helmet. "Well you're right, it probably would." Weiss looked surprised that he agreed with her. "But having a more friendly approach would probably help the situation. Isn't that right Ruby?" he gestured to the young reaper.

"Yeah, I said sorry, princess." Ruby huffed. Isaac wanted to facepalm so badly. _'Not really helping the situation Ruby,'_ Isaac thought.

"It's heiress, actually," said a girl clad in black. Isaac looked her up and down, eyes being particularly drawn to her black bow. _'Where the hell are these people coming from?'_

"Weiss Schnee, heiress of Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world," the girl said.

Weiss swells with pride. "Finally some recognition!"

The girl shoots down Weiss's bravado. "The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

Weiss looked surprised and incredibly flustered by the insult. "Wha-the nerve of-Ugh!" Weiss stalks off seething with anger.

Ruby yells after the heiress. "I promise I'll make this up to you!" she yells hopefully.

Isaac pats her on the back. "I'm sure she'll forgive you sooner or later Ruby," he assured her.

Ruby looks at him thankfully. "Thanks, Crimson. I hope your right," she sighs dejectedly. "Today just isn't a good day."

Isaac thought for a moment. _'I can't imagine she's having a good day either'._ He snapped his fingers coming to a conclusion. "Ruby, can you do me a favor?"

"Uh, sure, what is it?" she asked.

"I'll go check on her and meet you and Yang later."

"What! You're leaving me too!" Ruby whined.

"Yes, but only for a little while." Ruby pouted at him clearly not satisfied with the answer. "Alright if you let me go I'll show you _all_ of my weapons."

Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas. "Really, you have more than one! And I can see them!"

"Yup! I'll show you them when we meet again, deal?" Isaac stuck out his hand.

Ruby didn't hesitate and shook his hand. "Deal! But you better keep your promise," she pointed at him.

"I will, I will," he assured her. As he walked off he waved. " I'll see you later. Make more friends!"

Ruby stuck her tongue at him before waving back happily. Isaac speed walked towards the heiress ahead to keep up with her. _'Geez, she walks fast,'_

* * *

Weiss walked alone through some of the many large halls of Beacon, silently ranting to herself. How dare she talk to her like that, she doesn't know anything about her business.

She was so consumed in her own thoughts she did not notice the approaching person. Isaac walked up to Weiss and tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me. Are you alright?"

She looked over her shoulder and scoffed when she saw who it was. "Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?"

Isaac walked along with her silently for a moment. "I just can't imagine that you're having a good day." Weiss quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He thought for a moment before continuing.

"Well, first off, your heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. Although I don't know much about the business, I know that it resides in Atlas. Undoubtedly your parents are peeved at you for spending your time studying as a Huntress instead of an heiress while also being so far from home. Not only that, but it must be difficult to fill in the troubling shoes your family has left you. Probably why you wish to be a Huntress in the first place," Isaac deduced as he rubbed his helmeted chin.

Weiss stared at him in disbelief and was almost scared by the ghoul's accuracy. "H-How do you know that!?"

The ghoul simply shrugged and put his hands behind his back. "I was raised to understand people and their problems. And I've found that talking about such problems will usually help you feel better."

The heiress crossed her arms defiantly. "I don't need to talk about my problems!" Weiss said with venom in her voice.

Isaac sighed as he figured he would have to do this as his helmet slowly faded into a red mist. "What are you do...ing." Weiss's voice died in her throat when she looked at Isaac's face. His blonde hair splayed over his closed eyes. His hair was such a bright blonde that it could seem white if it wasn't for its occasional yellow streaks. His face was best described as 'gentle'. Something you wouldn't imagine a person wearing a mask would have.

Since his kakujan had yet to fully dissipate, he opened his right eye first to stare at the ground. As Isaac stared at the tiled floor, he was actually surprised by some of his features. He hasn't looked at his face in a while and forgot what he looked like. It still hasn't changed after all this time.

Weiss couldn't help but stare at his face until Isaac turned to her with both eyes open. His eyes were a crystal blue that seemed to see straight through her. Seeing he had her attention, Isaac continued.

"I can understand that you don't wish to confront your problems, but ignoring them won't make them go away." He ran his hand across his face, clearing the hair from his eyes. "Still, you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. All I ask is that if you have the need, trust me with your problems as I will trust you to handle them with the information that I give you," he spoke softly.

Weiss stared at him dumbfounded, unable to form words. "W-Why are you doing this?" was all she could ask. Isaac was silent for a moment before speaking

"People deserve to be happy, it's that simple. And as a friend, I wish to make sure you are." Weiss couldn't help but blush at his words.

"D-Do you really mean that." she timidly asked him. Isaac looked at her with a small smile and nodded his head. She had to turn her head away so he wouldn't notice her bright red face. Isaac suddenly stopped walking and looked around him. Weiss noticed he stopped. "What's wrong."

"Nothing. I've just noticed that we haven't been going anywhere for a while," Isaac said. Weiss looked around and too noticed that they've been walking blindly. This place was huge after all.

"Well, do you have any idea where to go?" she asked refusing to look him in the eyes.

Isaac scratched his cheek. "I think I have an idea, follow me," he began walking again.

Weiss watched him walk away and decided to ask him a question. "I never did catch your name. What is it?"

Isaac stopped walking and turned around with a smile on his face. "I would prefer you call me Crimson," his smile grew wider. "But I would like you to think of me as Isaac Keller," he gave her respective bow.

* * *

Isaac and Weiss walked side by side turning and crossing through the hallways. Weiss would sneak slight peeps up at his face before turning her head away with a blush. Isaac was completely oblivious to it, too busy trying to find a way out of these endless halls. When he did notice a stare, he'd simply smile at her, making Weiss turn red as a tomato.

Weiss didn't know how to deal with this situation. A considerably cute boy just considered her a friend. She could tell there was no malice or ill-intent in his words and that's what confused her. All her life, people who wanted to be her friend so out of the blue had second motives. But she could see no such thing in the ghoul's eyes. It made her glad but also a bit nervous. Weiss shook out of her thoughts when Isaac lightly tapped her shoulder.

She looked up at him and noticed that he looked quite anxious. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I hear voices, we're getting close." Isaac and Weiss turn a corner and see two big doors with loud murmuring coming from the other side. "I'm not too comfortable about showing other people my face. I hope you understand."

Weiss nods her head, "If it makes you more comfortable, I understand."

Isaac smiled thankfully at Weiss making her look away. While she looks away red tendrils begin to trudge up his face, forming his helmet. It was good to have his mask off once in a while but he felt... safe with it on. When she looked back at him she was surprised to see his helmet back on his face so quickly. She wanted to ask how but thought that it would be rude.

They walked closer to the doors and Isaac pushes them open. They were immediately assaulted with voices that filled the large room. People were all talking to each other, looking slightly nervous for something. Isaac and Weiss walk in and scan the room. Isaac noticed a bright bundle of blonde hair belonging to a certain brawler. "Weiss I need to go talk to somebody. I'll see you later," Isaac offered his hand. "It was nice to meet you, Weiss."

Weiss shakes his hand, a blush dusting her cheeks. "It was nice to meet you too. I hope we'll meet again." She looks at him with hopeful eyes hoping that they will.

Isaac smiles behind his helmet. "I'm sure we will." Isaac withdraws his hand and walks through the crowd, heading towards Yang. Isaac waved to Weiss one last time before he completely consumed by the crowd of people.

Isaac steadily walks towards Yang crossing and dodging through people. He eventually found a small clearing in the mass of students. In the clearing he sees two familiar people entering the main hall. Ruby and Jaune come in, walking side by side. The sight makes Isaac smile.

 _'I knew she'd make friends. Didn't think it would be Jaune though.'_ Isaac notices Ruby saying goodbye to Jaune and walking towards her sister. Isaac chuckles evilly as he stealthily stalks through the crowd towards Yang.

She was oblivious. "How's your first day going, little sis?" Yang asked.

"You mean after you ditched me!" Ruby fumed.

Yang scratched the back of her head nervously. "Sorry I wanted you to make new friends and plus, Crimson was with you." Yang looks around Ruby and couldn't see the helmeted ghoul anywhere. "Hey, where is he? Did he ditch you too?" Yang asked confused.

 **"BOO,"** Isaac distorts his voice as he sneaks up behind the two sisters. Yang nearly jumps out of her skin while Ruby lets out a shrill scream. They both turn around ready to punch someone only to find Isaac rolling on the floor with laughter.

"The look on your faces!" Isaac snickered. "That was sooo worth it," Isaac said as he stood up slightly out of breath.

Yang was faced red-faced with anger. "What the heck Crimson! What was that for!?"

"That's what's you get for leaving me and Ruby behind," he poked Yang's forehead.

"Hey, you ditched her too!"

"True, but I helped her out of a _bad_ situation and bribed her. So what's your excuse?" he pointed at Yang.

Ruby and Isaac gave Yang a pointed glare waiting for an answer. Yang backed up, trying to dismiss herself from the conversation. "Soooo, what was this _bad_ situation."

Isaac didn't bite, but Ruby sadly took the bait. "Ugh, I tripped over a crabby girl's luggage and she wouldn't stop yelling at me," Ruby pouted.

Isaac bonked Ruby on the head lightly. "That's rude Ruby, she was just having a bad day. In fact, I see her right now." Isaac pointed through the crowd and spotted Weiss. She looked like she was thinking about something.

Weiss feels Isaac's stare and looks back at him with a blush before disappearing further into the crowd. "She's quite nice when you get to know her. I'm sure she'll apologize to you sooner or later. You might even become friends."

Ruby looked doubtful. "If you say so, I don't think it will be that easy."

"I agree with him sis, you just started off on the wrong foot. I'm sure you guys will be friends in no time," Yang said happily.

The sound of a microphone fills the large room. "Ahem, ...I'll keep this brief." Everyone's attention is gained by the headmaster's voice on the stage.

"You have all traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people." Isaac chuckled wondering what he'd say next. ' _Wait for it,'_ he thought.

Ozpin did not disappoint,"But when I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy," he spoke solemnly. "In need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step," Ozpin ends the speech.

"Easy for you to say Ozpin. My first step always ends up with people dying," Isaac muttered. Ruby gave him a worried stare but didn't say anything about it.

Glynda Goodwitch walks up to the microphone,"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready," she said strictly."You are dismissed!" Before Glynda walks off the stage, she gives Isaac a surprised stare before walking off with a slight scowl.

 _'I guess she wasn't expecting me to actually come,'_ Isaac thought.

"He seemed kind of off, almost like he wasn't there," Yang said.

Isaac coughed drawing Ruby and Yang's attention. "Uh guys, I'll have to see you later. I need to go... talk with somebody. Ruby, I'll show you my weapons later." Isaac quietly walked off, not waiting for an answer.

Ruby looked up at Yang when he was far enough. "Did you hear what he said during the speech?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah I can only imagine what he meant." Yang had an idea of and couldn't help feeling sorry for the ghoul. _'Maybe I judged him too quickly,'_ Yang thought. She expected him to be a jerk and straight up ditch Ruby, but was surprised when he actually helped her. He seemed like a generally friendly person when she thought he would be cold and rude. So she would give "Crimson" a chance and hoped that he proved her assumptions wrong.

* * *

Glynda paced around the headmaster's clockwork office while said headmaster simply sat in his chair sipping on his coffee. "Glynda please, I offered him an invitation here. It's not much of a surprise that he's here," Ozpin said as he watched her pace across the room. Something she'd often do when irritated or confused.

Glynda stopped her pacing and stared at the headmaster. "You don't understand sir, he's a complete anomaly. He doesn't come up anywhere in the system, but he knows how to fight with such skill, that it could make an experienced Huntsman or Huntresses quiver in fear. Remember, we both saw the footage from that warehouse."

She pulls out her scroll and sticks it into a port in his desk. Immediately footage of Isaac coming into the warehouse and tearing apart the White Fang came into view. The cameras outside of the warehouse weren't operational, but the ones inside were. Ozpin cringes as the Crimson Ghoul cuts someone in half.

"I'll admit that he's strong and could make a great huntsman, but...," she gives Ozpin a look with obvious worry in her eyes. "He's too powerful, we can't trust Isaac."

Right when she says his name, the elevator to the clock-tower opened, revealing a mask-less Isaac. "Speak of the devil and he will come!" Isaac boasted with a wide smile as he walked into the room. Glynda jumps and turns around. Seeing who it is, she immediately draws her riding crop. Much to her surprise, he actually looked kind of saddened by the gesture.

"I understand you being cautious towards me, but must you always retort with violence. I will be your student after all," Isaac said with a melancholic smile. Glynda sighs and holsters her weapon seeing his point.

"Isaac, what brings you here?" Ozpin asks, seemingly not surprised by his apperance.

"Well, after your speech, which was wonderful by the way, I noticed Glynda looking at me rather scornfully, so I decided to see what's wrong."

Glynda and Ozpin share a glance before returning to Isaac. "No, nothing is wrong. I simply didn't expect you to actually come," Glynda clarified.

Isaac's smile involuntarily twitched. "That's also what I wanted to know." He took a few steps forward. "Why did you offer me a place at your school after seeing _that._ " Isaac pointed towards to holographic video of the massacre that happened in the warehouse. They forgot to turn it off when he abruptly came in. Ozpin sighed and removed the scroll from his desk.

Isaac tapped his foot impatiently waiting for an answer. The headmaster took a sip of his coffee before looking at Isaac. "If you remember my speech, I said I see "wasted energy". It was the same in your case. Killing like that was a waste of your power that could be used to help people in need."

Isaac looked at the headmaster with uncertainty. "It's...not that I don't believe you Ozpin. I simply think there's more to it than that. You can tell me, I'm not made of glass."

Ozpin took in a deep breath, put down his coffee and stepped out of his chair, staring straight at Isaac. "Alright, then I'll tell you," he picks up his cane and walks around his desk to be facing the ghoul. "I wasn't lying when I said you have potential, but I know your potential is dangerous."

Isaac gives him a look, telling him to continue. "The look in your eyes is a clear thirst for power. Someone who has strived for it and ultimately deserves it in the end... But I see murder in your eyes as well. Someone who would kill for said power and has. You show no regret in your actions, even if you killed for no reason," his stoic face gains a bit of sadness.

"I've seen many of my past students and friends fall for their desire for power. I do not wish for you to have the same future, so I thought showing you the way of a huntsman could save you from that. That is my honest answer," the headmaster said earnestly.

Isaac looks at the headmaster wide-eyed before returning blank, seeming to be unfazed by his words.

Ozpin was about to continue until he felt a crushing force in the room, enough to take all the air out of his lungs. Glynda physically stammered, feeling the force as well. It felt like the entire weight of the ocean was crushing their heart, making them break out into a sweat. Ozpin realizes that the killing intent was coming from Isaac, who looked very unamused. Isaac takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, pushing his hair from his face. He then opens his eyes, revealing his one human and ghoul eye.

"If I may ask you two a question. Do I seem like someone who's had a... _painful_ past. Answer honestly," The ghoul said plainly.

The weight in the room slightly diminished, allowing the two professors to breathe. They looked at the ghoul hesitantly before nodding their heads numbly. "Personally, we do. It would be a proper reason for your actions and...mentality towards killing," Glynda said.

"Well, in many ways you'd be right," Isaac said with a deep sigh. "...When I was about four or five my parents...were killed. I was quite depressed at the time and the only family figure I had left was an old baker lady who knew my parents," Isaac paused for a moment.

"She died too, killed the same way when I was six. Ironic really, I guess was never meant to have parents," Isaac said with a sad smile as he ran his fingers through his hair. Ozpin and Glynda looked saddened at hearing the ghoul's unfortunate past. Surprisingly, though, his face then grew into a smile.

"But then I met of group of people who in many ways were like me. Some wanted revenge, protection, purpose or in my case. Family," Isaac said in a sinister tone. "All of a sudden I didn't care about my parents' death anymore, I didn't care about my sad and lonely past. Everything seemed so much brighter with them around so why should I?"

He lost his smile as he stared at Ozpin. "My point is _headmaster_ is that I am fully aware that I'm dangerous, that I'm a monster. So do you really think I care or affected about how many people I've killed in my past and now? That fight in the warehouse was barely a taste of my true killing power and I have no doubt that I could kill both you _and_ Glynda with that power if I chose to!" The teachers tense at his threat, gripping their weapons.

"So I must ask you, _headmaster_ , you think I can be saved. But can you save yourself?" Isaac cocks his head questioningly.

The room was tense and disturbed. The headmaster stood there stoically but was sweating bullets. Glynda was breathing heavily, not knowing how to deal with the situation. If that massacre wasn't even a taste of his power, then what his full power like?

It was as if a battle could break out at any moment. But then, Isaac smiled again. "But of course I would never do that. I think you guys are rather nice actually," Isaac giggles childishly. "I know I'm a monster, but that doesn't mean I'll act like one completely. If I did, I'd be giving away whatever humanity I have left and that doesn't sound like a fun life to me."

Isaac continued to sport a mocking smile as he walked round the office. "I accept and cause pain, but that doesn't mean I'm above helping people. It's why I helped Ruby. Hell, I showed Weiss my face and name so she could have someone trust being here, for no other reason because I wanted to." Isaac takes a breath and runs a hand through his messy locks.

"And... I know I can't change or be saved, but I'm willing to learn from this new experience. Just know that I'm not some lost child that deserves to be pitied. Because although I'm a monster, I've never felt sorry for being one." The teachers simply stood there not knowing how to respond to his words.

"Why are you telling us this?" Ozpin was first to ask as he regained his barings.

"I just thought it would be important to... clear the air about me since I'll most likely be attending here," Isaac walked back to the elevator. He then came to a stop in front of the elevator doors and turns around looking rather sheepish. "Heh, I know this is kind of weird to ask this now, but can you do me a favor?"

Ozpin took a deep, calming sip from his coffee before answering. "Yes, what is it?" he asked simply.

"Can you...or one of you...activate my aura?" Isaac asked meekly, staring at his feet.

The professors sweat dropped at the ghoul's change in attitude. "You don't have your aura unlocked?" Glynda asked confused that someone so powerful doesn't have something so significant. Isaac shook his head.

"I was never trained to use it, so no," the ghoul scratches the back of his head. "All this talk of power reminded me to ask."

Glynda rubbed her temples and walked towards Isaac with slight hesitation. "Well since the initiation is tomorrow, it would be best to unlock it now." She puts her hand on his shoulder. "Close your eyes."

Isaac did as instructed and closed his eyes as Glynda began to chant. "For it is passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee." Isaac began to glow ominously. A shadowy, sinister red aura wicks and wisps malevolently, accompanied with the feeling of a calm oppression. The sensation of his aura makes Glynda sway sleepily, almost like his aura was drawing her in. She was shaken out of her daze by the sound of Ozpin's voice.

"Glynda are you all right?" Ozpin asked. Glynda shakes her head and takes her hand off Isaac's shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm just particularly drained at the moment," she responded as she rubbed her tired eyes.

Ozpin sighed as he sat back down in his chair. "That makes two of us then." He looked back to Isaac, "So, how do you feel?"

Isaac looks down at his hands. "I feel... different. But in a good way."

"Good. If that is all, I recommend you go eat dinner. It is almost time to sleep."

"Yes, _Headmaster_ ," Isaac bows his head and walks towards the elevator. The doors open and as they close behind the ghoul, his helmet covers his face.

Glynda continues to rub her face in exhaustion. "If he stay, he'll be a _very_ tiring student."

Ozpin turns and looks out the window. "Indeed. A very _interesting_ student," he says as he takes a tired sip of his coffee. They didn't think dealing with the Crimson Ghoul would be so tiring and terrifying.

Meanwhile, as the masked ghoul rode down the elevator, he had a distant smile on his face.

"I think that went rather well."

* * *

 **WOOOOO! I feel Great!**

 **I think this chapter went well all in all. I didn't get to everything I wanted to, but that's probably best. To avoid getting these chapters too long.**

 **The next chapter will be the initiation for sure. It's already kind of being written so that's good. If any of you have any questions ask away. Also if any you have any ideas of what Isaac's semblance should be I'm all ears. I have an idea of what it should be, but hearing your ideas would be good too.**

 **If any of are wondering by the way, what Isaac meant by not using his full power, he means he's starving himself. It's the only way for him to keep his massive amount of Rc cells dormant and keep him from killing himself by going _crazy_. So don't worry about Isaac being too overpowered. But be warned he will use more power as the story continues :)**

 **Feel free to criticize, it drives me to keep writing this. GoofyDoober out!**


	4. Nothing Stays

**Let me just start by saying thanks for the support.**

 **It's really heart warming and I appreciate it immensely. I'll keep trying to post these chapters as best I can.**

 **In other news, this chapter is going to be different from what I promised in the last one. But I will explain everything in the Authors Notes below, so make sure to read that. With that being said, let's start the chapter.**

 **Chapter: 3**

* * *

Isaac silently strolled through the area of Beacon. The campus was naturally beautiful at this time of night. Wonderful greenery accented with the clear moonlight. And just a general good breeze. He honestly couldn't get over how beautiful the city of Vale is, Beacon and all. He honestly questioned who the hell they hired when making this place.

Then again, his brain is completely giddy right now, so that could have something to do with his fantasized thinking at the moment.

He just couldn't stop thinking about his previous talk with the headmaster. It went a lot better than he hoped it would. Although he didn't really know what he was expecting. But Isaac was glad that he proved a point to Ozpin. He didn't know what it was about that man, but everything he does seems so infuriatingly caring. He just couldn't understand it. But that wasn't the only thing that was making him jolly.

He actually unlocked his aura! Isaac heard that people could unlock aura manually, but to think it was so easy! Isaac originally planned to train and bring out his naturally, but if you have the ability to gain it right away. Then why bother with the formalities?

Isaac stared down at his hands and concentrated, flaring his aura. The same wispy, red miasma seeped from his body. He found it strange how _malevolent,_ his aura felt. He always read that unlocking your aura was an enlightening feeling.

It didn't feel like the exact opposite of that, but there wasn't exactly a _happy_ feeling to it. Also, unlike when he first unlocked it, the amount of aura that was being produced was... small. Like something was holding it back.

 _'I guess it's to be expected. I did just unlock it,_ ' Isaac thought. _'It seems I'll have to wait until tomorrow to use its full capabilities._ ' Isaac continued walking with a little less jump in his step. But he wouldn't let that small inconvenience ruin his so far perfect day. He wondered if all first days of school are like this. He doubted most schools have campus's this big though.

At the thought of the campus, Isaac stops in his tracks, realizing that he was more or less walking in circles. He just saw the same tree for about third or fourth time. So he decided to pick up a different strategy and sniffed the air, searching for the smell of humans.

His ghoul senses enhanced with his hunger could point out the smell of a human for miles. He caught a scent and followed it.

* * *

After about ten minutes of searching, he found what he "guessed" was a dining hall. Since it could probably fit about _two_ dining halls inside it. He pushed open the doors and found the room mostly empty. There were a few people here and there, but they seemed to be leaving soon and were obviously tired. Isaac had to think for a moment and ask himself why he would come here.

"Oh yeah, I was looking for Ruby and Yang." Isaac scanned the barren dining hall and unsurprisingly couldn't see the two sisters anywhere. Isaac that hoped he would find at least Ruby. He that felt he kind of disappointed her after abruptly leaving without showing her his weapons.

He did, however, see a familiar face. The same raven-haired girl that berated Weiss about her family business. Isaac took a stab in the dark and figured she might know where Ruby and Yang are. It was the best lead he could probably get.

He skipped over to Blake, who was silently reading at an empty table. "Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time?" he asked politely.

Blake looks up from her book and sees the ghoul standing over her. "You're...," she looked him up and down, "the Crimson Ghoul," Blake said with disinterest as her bow twitched. She didn't really read much up about the _Crimson Ghoul of Vale,_ only that many seemed to find him to be a strange stoic figure and was very popular on the news lately. She's already heard multiple rumors that he was here in Beacon. She thought many of them were exaggerating his power. For instance, she heard one story that he took out twenty armed thugs with no weapons and no obvious use of aura.

She couldn't tell if his fighting prowess was real or not, but him being a silent figure was definitely not true.

"Yeah, I am," The ghoul chuckled nervously, noticing the twitch of her bow. "I was just wondering, have you seen a short girl, black hair and usually accompanied by a lively blonde?" he asked.

She hiked an eyebrow at his description. "I _think_ I saw somebody like that head to the Ballroom," she responded unsurely _._

Isaac was a bit disappointed that he couldn't get a straight answer. "Ah, I guess that makes sense. It is getting pretty late... Why aren't you there as well?" the ghoul asked her.

"Well, I was planning to but I stayed here for some peace." Isaac tilted his head questioningly. "And _quiet_ ," she said curtly.

Isaac got the message quickly. "Oh, I understand... I'll leave you to your book. Thank you for your time." He gave her a small bow and walked away. _'So where was the Ballroom again. Hell, where's even the dressing room?'_ he asked himself dubiously.

Blake couldn't help feeling a little bit guilty as she watched the ghoul walk away. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I hope I... didn't offend you." Blake honestly couldn't tell if she did.

Isaac quickly waved off her apology. "It's fine... But if you don't mind, can you show me to the changing room. I've noticed that I get lost quite easily," Isaac said, embarrassed by his lack of direction.

"Sure, I don't mind," She stood up and picked up her book. "I need to go change anyways."

In a flash, Isaac appears next to Blake. "Great! Lead the way, then," Isaac says cheerfully as he longer has to wander helplessly.

* * *

Blake and Isaac walked side by side through the school halls. Of course, since everyone was probably in the Ballroom sleeping. The halls were devoid of other students.

Not a single word or glance was given as they walked together. And while many would've found the silence uncomfortable, Isaac was quite fine with it. He knew a conservative person when he saw one, so he wouldn't pry. Blake felt the same, in a way. Usually, she could get a read on how a person feels about a situation due to their expression. But the ghoul was a cold slate to read with that helmet on and only showed his personality when he spoke.

The only thing that made Isaac really want to talk to her was the book she was carrying. He hadn't read a good book in a long while so maybe he could ask for suggestions based off her book.

They walked for a couple more minutes before Isaac turns to Blake. "So, what's your book called?"

She looked a bit relieved that he was able to break the ice first on a comfortable subject. Blake took the book from under her arm and showed it to him."It's called _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde._ " **(A/N: That's an actual book by the way.)** "It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body," she explained to the ghoul as the information sank in.

Isaac looked over the book with interest before chuckling,"That sounds like a book my mom would write."

Blake looks at him, surprised. She didn't expect the ghoul's mother to be a writer. "Your mother was an author?"

Isaac nodded. "Yup, I doubt you've heard of her. She would love to write physiological books like this. She was interested in the mind like that." He spoke of her with a nostalgic tone.

"She sounds like an amazing writer. What was she like?" Blake asked now interested in his mom's writing career.

Isaac clammed up awkwardly. He didn't really know how to answer that. "She was well...a sociopath," he said straightly, surprising Blake.

He notices his poor choice of words. "Oh! Well, I... shouldn't say it like that. But she was a strange woman Not the type of person you can explain with a few words."

An awkward pause filled the air between them until Blake spoke. "That must've been a... interesting childhood. Did you leave her... to become a huntsman I mean?" She asked as if she was standing on thin ice.

"Hmm," the ghoul contemplated. "I guess you can say that I wanted my own future in a way. Away from her _ideals."_

Blake looked at Isaac questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Isaac let out a deep compressed sigh before chuckling. He pointed to two doors that held classic gender signs. "We're here."

Blake stopped and looked surprised that they reached their destination already. She then gave the ghoul an accusing glare, seeing what he was trying to do. "You dodged my question."

Isaac puts up his hands in defense. "I dodge bullets for a living. Questions aren't all that different," he joked truthfully.

Blake chuckles as she steps inside the changing room. "All right, but expect me to ask again. I want to know more about your mom's writing."

He shrugged. "Ok, I'll dodge those questions too then." Isaac was just about to walk into the changing room until he remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. What's your name?" the ghoul asked.

"It's Blake, Blake Belladonna. What's yours?" Isaac looked confused by her question. "I mean your real name, I know Crimson isn't your real one," she says with a cheeky grin.

Isaac huffs behind his helmet. "Why do people think my name is _so_ important," he mumbled under his breath. It's not like his name is special in any way, besides that it would give up the identity of the Crimson Ghoul.

Isaac looks back up and sees Blake patiently waiting for an answer. He sighs seeing that she won't drop the subject. "Alright my last name is Keller, and that's all I'll tell you. For now anyway."

Blake seemed to be disappointed by the answer, but was glad he told her at least half of it. "Fine, but I'll be waiting, _Keller,_ " she said before slipping into the changing room. Isaac steps into the male changing room a few seconds after.

He leans up against the door, pondering to himself as he studied the empty dressing room.

"I wonder if I should tell her. She seems trustworthy enough," he said out loud.

Isaac looks around the simple washroom. It had mirrors, showers, and moderately sized changing rooms. Isaac steps into one and locks the door behind him.

 _'Then again, I'll have to tell Yang and Ruby if I do since they're just as trustworthy. And I have the feeling Yang's going to draw it out of me sooner or later'_

Isaac's helmet fades into a red mist as he looks into a long mirror. He still had the disarming, childlike face that he remembered. Seriously, would it kill his body to make some testosterone once in its life? He's looked like this ever since he was a kid. It was starting to get annoying.

Isaac decides to put that thought aside and fishes into his pocket, pulling out a small rectangular package. "I wonder how much I should eat," Isaac questions himself as he unwraps the paper.

Red flesh peeks out of the wrapping paper as if teasing his taste buds. He could eat all of it now or half.

Eating half would be safe for him, but since tomorrow is the initiation, eating all of it would be helpful. After all, he's never faced Grimm before. There's no telling how strong these things could be.

Isaac stared down at it for awhile, thinking of the pros and cons before he makes a decision. He unwraps all the meat and chows down.

It wasn't much of a big deal. He can always stab himself to get rid of extra Rc cells.

When he's done, Isaac licks his lips and wipes his hands off on his shorts. "Now that's out of the way I...," Isaac looks into the mirror as his brain reboots the situation. "I don't have any pajamas, damn," Isaac spat. He couldn't wear his suit. Unsurprisingly, chains are super uncomfortable to sleep in. Rubber for that matter is uncomfortable for him. So what could he wear for pajamas? It's not like he could just go naked.

Isaac looked his body over in the mirror. "Actually, maybe I could."

* * *

Yang lands on her sleeping bag next to her sister Ruby. "It's like a big slumber party!" Yang said enthusiastically.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the guys, though," Ruby said as she continued writing her letter to her friends back at Signal. She didn't understand how her older sister could be so comfortable next to so many people.

"I know I do~," Yang seductively purrs as she watches multiple guys proudly show off and flex their muscles for the crowd of girls. But their jaws drop when they see a familiar helmeted ghoul walk past...without a top.

Yang takes a double take, not believing what she's seeing. She almost wondered if she was hallucinating, but knew her eyes weren't deceiving her. "Whoa, Ruby look who it is," Yang pointed.

"Yang, I'm not interested in seeing boys flex," Ruby replied.

"C'mon, it's something different. Just look," She shook Ruby, trying to convince her.

Ruby finally caved in and looked up. Her cheeks turn into a hot blush at what she sees.

The Crimson Ghoul stepped into the Ballroom shirtless, showing off his toned chest. Girls drooled over him while the boys watched in envy, losing the attention to the ghoul. Isaac looked like he didn't care much for the attention he was getting. But it was hard to tell with that helmet Yang personally hated.

Yang whistled as she watched the ghoul walk. "Dang, I knew Crimson was a beast, but I didn't think he'd be so buff!" she drivels and catches a pillow thrown at her face.

"Yang! That's gross!" Ruby yells, blushing hard enough to put her cloak to shame. Yang laughs at Ruby's expense, smirking deviously.

"What? Weren't you the one who couldn't stop talking about how _cool_ Crimson was during dinner," she teased her little sister.

"Wha- No! I said his weapons were cool and you know it!" Ruby defended. "Besides, you were the one who started talking about him in the first place!"

"Talking about who?" Yang and Ruby look up and see said topless ghoul standing over them.

Ruby shakes her head quickly. "N-No one! No one at all!" She looks back down and continues writing her letter. Yang jumps up puts her arm around the ghoul.

Isaac's eyes drift to the arm around his shoulder as Yang talks to him. "Crimson~, why didn't you tell me you were so fit." Yang reaches over to touch his toned stomach before Isaac slaps her hand away.

"My body is off-limits Yang," he said strictly. Isaac had never really been a fan of body touching unless it was hug between friends or a handshake. Anything else he just found weird and unnecessary.

Yang smirked,"C'mon, just one little touch~."

Isaac smirks behind his helmet and quickly ducks to dodge a pillow heading for Yang's face. The pillow is a direct hit and knocks her to the ground.

"Thanks, Ruby," Isaac said.

"Ugh, no problem," Ruby said, disgusted with her sister's flirting. Now on Ruby's level, he notices she's writing something.

"What's the note for?" Isaac asks curiously.

Ruby shrugs. "It's just a letter to my friends back at Signal. I promised I'd tell them all about Beacon Academy while I'm here."

Yang stumbles up onto her knees. "Aw, that's so cute." She receives another pillow to her face knocking her back.

Isaac cringes at her fall while Ruby yells at Yang. "Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school. It's weird not knowing anyone here," she complained.

Isaac stands up and helps Yang to her feet. "Well, you know Jaune and me. That's better than nothing," he assured her.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend."

Isaac tilted his head. "Why do you say that?"

"We had another fight during dinner," Ruby says hopelessly as she stuffs her face in her pillow.

Isaac thinks for a moment. "Still, that's better than none, and besides, I'm sure you guys will become friends soon," Isaac assured her charismatically.

Yang finally regains her balance from getting knocked down. "Yeah, I agree with Crimson. There are friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet," Yang told her sister. Ruby still looked unsure about the advice and eventually nodded her head in acceptance.

Then, out of nowhere, the sound of a candle being lit fills the Ballroom, drawing the three's attention.

Isaac immediately notices a black bow. "Is that... Blake?" Isaac asks himself out loud.

"Who's Blake?" Yang asked.

"Me and Ruby saw her when we met Weiss. Do you remember her Ruby?" he turned to the girl.

"I think so?" she said, questioning herself. "She left before I got the chance to talk to her."

Yang smirks and takes both Isaac and Ruby by the hand. "Well, now's your chance!" She drags the two towards Blake despite their protests.

"But I've already talked to her," Isaac tried to say.

"Great! Then you can introduce us!" Yang said enthusiastically. The ghoul sighed and accepted his fate while Ruby was still fighting her sister's monster grip.

Blake peeked up from her book and saw the approaching figures. "Hello! I believe you two may know each other," Yang gestures to Isaac.

Blake looks at Crimson and slightly blushes. "Crimson, why aren't you wearing a shirt?" Blake asks as she hides half her face behind her book.

Isaac shrugs, not seeing the problem. "I didn't have any pajamas and my regular clothing is uncomfortable to sleep in." He then shook his head. "But that's not important." Isaac gestured to the girls beside him,"These two wanted to say hello."

Ruby fidgets in place, nervous. "Um, hi, my name is Ruby Rose, nice to meet you." Ruby gives out her hand for Blake to shake, but Blake doesn't take it, making Ruby hang her head dejectedly.

Isaac pats Ruby on the back and turns to Yang waiting for her piece. "Sooo, Blake, right? I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! ...I like your bow!" she compliments her suddenly.

"Thanks," Blake says blandly as she continues reading her book.

"It goes great with your... pajamas!"

"Right," she continues reading.

After a few seconds of silence, Isaac leans over to Yang. "So, what's next," he whispers.

"I don't know. Help us," she whispered back.

Isaac sighs and reaches into his pocket. He had something he wanted to show her. "So Blake, while I was in the changing room, I was digging through my pockets and I found this." Isaac pulls out a small leather notebook.

Blake looks up from her book. "What is it?"

Isaac flips through some of the pages. "It's a little journal I got a long time ago. I rarely write in it anymore." Isaac closes the notebook. "But when I was looking through it, I saw that I actually copied down one of my mom's old books in here."

Blake puts down her book completely. "Really, how is it?" she asked fully invested. Yang and Ruby's jaws drop seeing Isaac break the ice so easily with the silent Blake.

Isaac shrugged. "To be honest, it's better than I remembered. But it's a bit scrunched up. So if you'd like, I could print it down for you," he offers kindly.

"You don't need to but... I would appreciate it very much." Blake smiles thankfully at the ghoul for his offer.

"Great, I'll make sure to do so when I have the chance." Isaac turns to Yang, smirking. "And _that's_ how you make conversation," he said snidely making Yang pout.

Isaac then turned away from the girls. "Now if you need me, I'll go find something to sleep on."

"You don't have that too?" Blake smirks knowing the answer.

"...Maybe," he responds and simply walks away, leaving Ruby and Yang with Blake.

As he leaves, Ruby decides to pick up where Isaac left off. "Sooo, what's your book about?" Ruby asks hopefully.

After her previous talk with Crimson, Blake was feeling a bit more open. "Well, it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body," she explained to Ruby.

"That sounds... lovely," Yang awkwardly says, not really in her element with books.

Ruby takes a step forward, continuing the conversation. "I love books. Yang used to read to me all the time, about the hero's who fight for justice and help people who can't help themselves. That's _kinda_ why I wanted to be Huntress when I grow up."

Blake smiles at Ruby's innocence,"That's very ambitious for a child." She then quickly frowns. "Sadly, the real world isn't like a fairy tale."

Ruby smiles regardless. "Well, that's why we're here, to make it better."

Yang reaches over and bear hugs Ruby hard enough to lift her off the ground. "Oh, I'm so proud of my little sister!" she says enthusiastically

"Yang, stop it!" Ruby struggles in her sister's grip and they break out into a dust cloud brawl with random kicks and punches flying everywhere. Blake stares slightly stupefied and doesn't notice Isaac walking back with a pillow and sleeping bag under his arm.

He tilts his head in confusion as he stands next to Blake. "So, what did I miss?"

Blake didn't really know how to explain it. "Well... We were talking and it was going pretty well, until they hugged that is."

Isaac hummed comprehensively and walked towards the two siblings. He sticks his foot in the middle of the brawl, tripping a random leg, causing the two sisters to collapse into a heap.

The ghoul leans over the sisters chuckling, "You two are very interesting people, you know that?"

"Thanks," Yang winced in pain. Trapped in what can only be considered as a human pretzel along with her sister. The sight only made Isaac laugh more.

"What in the world is going on over here!" Weiss stomped over to the group, furious. "Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep!?

Isaac turns his head, remembering the voice. "Oh, it's you Weiss. Nice nightgown," he said politely

Weiss's eyes widen in surprise not noticing him before. "Oh Isa- I mean, Crimson how are you?" she asks equally polite and mentally berates for almost saying his real name.

"I'm doing quite fine. How are you?"

Weiss was about to answer until Ruby interrupted. "Hey, how come you're nice to Crimson and not to me?" she asked as she untangled herself from her sister.

Weiss's smile at Crimson turned to an expression of annoyance towards Ruby. "Maybe because he's polite and has some common decency!"

"You know he's not wearing a shirt right?" Blake pointed out. Weiss quickly looks back at Crimson and blushes. _'How did I not notice that before?!'_ Weiss internally screams as she shakes the image from her thoughts.

"W-Well he still has more common decency than her," she crossed her arms, still blushing.

Yang triumphantly stood by her sister. "Hey, my sister has common decency!"

"Yeah! Wait, what does common decency mean?" Ruby asks Yang.

Isaac watches the three girls bicker back and forth with an amused expression behind his helmet.

The ghoul takes a step forward,"Excuse me."

They snap to him. "What!?"

Isaac didn't seem to be fazed by the shout. "Since you all seem rather busy. I just wanted to wish you all a good night." He turned to Blake,"You as well Blake."

She nods to the ghoul as he turns away from them. "Goodnight~," he says sweetly and disappears in a blur, blowing out Blake's candle.

He reappears in a quiet far corner of the Ballroom.

Isaac chuckles as he watches them freak out in the dark, wondering where he went. He sets down his sleeping bag and pillow and plops down crossed legged.

 _'Such interesting people, those girls,'_ Isaac thought as he watched everyone in the entire Ballroom slowly, but surely fall asleep. He looked around the Ballroom and the many faces in it. ' _Really,_ e _veryone in this place is interesting, even the teachers._ _Maybe being here won't be such a drag after all.'_ Isaac thought as he snuggled into his bag, _'Time will only tell, I guess.'_

The ghoul allowed himself to decompress with a sigh.

Today was an exceptional, but tiring day all in all.

He's made some good friends, scared some adults, unlocked his Aura. He even was reminded of some old memories, thanks to Blake questioning.

Isaac pulled out his small notebook and looked through some of the pages. He couldn't remember why in the world he got this and how he forgot it for that matter. Besides his mom's book copied in here, most of it was simple phrases and ineligible paragraphs that probably made sense to him at the time of writing. For instance, something that particularly gained his attention were three simple words saying:

 ** _It changed again_**

 _'Why would I write something like that?'_ Isaac asked himself as he tapped the notebook against his helmet. Plus, it was in Japanese, very sloppy Japanese at that. So that means it wasn't anytime recent. After being an uneducated orphan for most of his childhood, he had the incessant need to learn how to read and write. He even learned English, but that was more to fit one of his human persona's background of being an American foreigner.

He simply just stared at the text, hoping something would come to him.

"It was when...," Isaac quietly whispered. Isaac closed his eyes tightly, remembering his past.

...Isaac's eyes then shot open with a gasp. The realization hit him like a truck, terrifying him to the core. That feeling alone was enough for Isaac to lose his concentration, making his helmet fade into a mist as his head abruptly landed on his pillow.

Naturally, if you saw Isaac or the Crimson Ghoul without his helmet, you would see him mostly smiling. Not a large smile, but a small one. One that showed he was listening to you and/or simply happy, for no other good reason other than he can be. Although this particular time was not a face of happiness.

It was a face of fear, desperation, anxiety, an expression he rarely had.

The young ghoul puts down his notebook and ran his hands through his messy hair. A nervous habit of his from when he was young.

He remembered. He remembered when and why he wrote that.

It was when he first joined the Aogiri... It was when his **life** **changed again**.

Isaac pulled on his blonde locks roughly as he remembered that dreadful day.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _'That doctor should be done already,'_ Tatara thought as he sauntered through the halls of the 11th ward Aogiri base.

He honestly hated it here. If it wasn't for its strategic placing, the Aogiri would've never settled here as long as they have. Everything was run down and falling apart. And the ghouls here are weak as much they are stupid.

The red-eyed ghoul looks down to see a hole about five feet in the middle of the hallway, proving his point. He clicks his tongue and diligently jumps over the hole and continues walking.

It also didn't help that the reason he was here was for something just as stupid.

He gave Doctor Kanou a little guinea pig for his experiments. Of course, he didn't expect much from the kid, why should he? You don't need to be a doctor to see malnutrition and possibly a cold, maybe even the flu. The kid was falling apart. And the doctor was so anxious to try out a little crackpot theory of his, that he didn't even wait to go to a proper surgery room. He just took the tools and resources he needed and just started to work on the child.

Even though Tatara could appreciate Kanou's enthusiasm, he thought the doctor acted rather rashly. Although the subject was expendable, so it wouldn't matter much if turned out to be a failure, like the many others. The materials, on the other hand, were not which was real the downside of failure.

Tartara turns a corner and sees two Aogiri members talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, did you hear the doctor laughing in there?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, what do you think so funny?" the other replied.

"I don't know, but I feel bad for the _sucker_ that's stuck in that room with him!"

The two ghouls laughed together, knowing how strange Doctor Kanou can be.

Tatara gives them a calm gaze as he walks by, shutting them up. They straightened themselves out and one cleared their throat,"I-If you're looking for the doctor, he's r-right in here," they gestured to a door beside them.

Tartara turned and opened the door.

 _'Idiots,'_ he thought as he walked into the surgery room.

The room was relaxingly dim, in contrast with the eerie windowless interior. The Doctor stood by a dresser that held on top of it multiple medical reports and scribblings. He was looking down at a small boy with a blank look.

The child's face was plump but deathly pale. His ear-length, dark blonde hair rested on his pillow, eyes closed. An I.V needle was stuck into his arm, connected to a bag that contained Rc suppressants. The rest of his body was covered by a white blanket that rose and fell in tune with his slow breathing.

Tartara turned to the doctor. "By the look of your face, I say the procedure was a failure." The doctor looked at him surprised and gave him a warm smile.

"Ah, Tartara, I didn't notice you come in." Kanou turns to the boy with the same smile. "The surgery was a success. A complete success," he said smoothly.

The masked ghoul's natural cool expression became one of confusion. "A success?" he said, bewildered. "How was it a success?"

"See for yourself," he handed him a medical board. Tartara took it and flipped through the pages. The boy's vitals were more or less fine.

Blood type: O+

Rc quality: High

Kakuhou transplanted:

A ranked ghoul Mr. Hiromasa: Bikaku

S ranked ghoul Mrs. Hisa: Rinkaku

S+ ranked ghoul Dr. Jun: Ukaku

Rc level before surgery: 103

Rc level: 3̶7̶8̶4̶,̶ ̶4̶8̶5̶2̶,̶ ̶5̶9̶3̶5̶,̶ ̶6̶1̶8̶9̶ (After Rc suppression) 2̶0̶6̶8̶,̶ ̶2̶7̶5̶6̶,̶ ̶3̶1̶0̶8̶, 1677

Tatara looked up at the doctor. "Why are his Rc levels crossed out?"

The doctor sighed. "Well, you see, I implanted the Kakuhou in order of least to greatest Rc cell count, to allow his body to get accustomed to each one. Luckily, after the procedure, his Rc cells didn't immediately bolster. They rose at a rate that I was able to control with Rc suppressants," Kanou explained.

He rubbed his brow. "The boy's Rc level kept rising and falling so much that I just stopped recording it altogether. Honestly, if I didn't catch it at the right time, it would've gotten way out of hand. Which would most likely end up with him gaining a grotesque mutation due to overflow"

"Which would also mean we'd have another _Floppy_ on our hands," Tatara finished looking at the boy.

Doctor Kanou nodded sourly. "After all the work and new materials I put into this one, I don't think I could handle another failure." The doctor then chuckled, charismatically. "Then again, it was me who suggested doing the surgery, so I guess it would be my fault."

All the talking makes the child murmur and whimper in his sleep. Kanou's eyes are quickly drawn to the boy's position with curiosity.

Tatara then realized something.

"Wait, I gave you the child days ago. If the surgery has been finished for a while, why didn't you tell me?" Tatara asked.

The mad doctor glanced at Tartara. "I wanted to be the first person my creation saw when they woke up. And besides, it was best to make sure they were fully stable before telling you."

"Hmm," the ghoul considered. "Well, I'm fine with that. But make sure to put him in a safe confinement when you are done. I need to judge the boy myself." The doctor nodded as Tatara walked towards the door.

Before he could reach the knob, the door swings open with a short Aogiri grunt behind it.

The low-ranking member was shaking with fear as he stood in front of his superior. "U-Um e-excuse me, s-sir"? He spoke in a shaky young voice.

"Yes, what is it?" Tatara asked coolly.

"E-Eto h-has asked for you."

Before Tatara could respond a loud yawn fills the surgery room. Tatara turns his head and see's the boy leaning up in bed. All the noise must've woken him up.

The child rubs his tired eyes and feels a sharp sting tugging on his arm. His eyes drift to the I.V cord pierced in his shoulder. The boy tugs on the cord and winces before pulling it out.

He rubs his now sore arm as he looks around the room. Well, not really looking, more of a squint. Everything was a blob, it was hard to diversify what was a person and what was simply part of the room. The only definite thing he saw was red, but not enough to know what it was.

"Strange, his eyes seem to be adjusting to something," he heard a blur say.

They rub their hazy eyes, trying to shake the blindness away.

And then pain.

A searing hot sensation burnt through his cornea and retinas. Like a hot pillar of metal was _stabbing_ through his eyes. His left eye was the worst. It was like somebody was _twisting_ the nerve in his eye with red hot pliers. But it was just a few units of pain away from screaming.

Like dipping your hand in scalding water, but the pain never got better or worse.

He _almost_ couldn't handle the pain. He wanted to cry, but the pain was never enough. The child sucked hasty breaths through his teeth as he covered eyes. "If you're busy, s-sir, I can tell Eto." The young boy looked up with watery eyes. The red blob before started to sharpen its image. The first thing he noticed was not the cloak itself, but the thing the cloak was wearing. It was a mask.

A mask he's seen before. That, as an orphan living in the 13th ward, was something you _needed_ to fear and know the face of.

Aogiri.

His brain went on autopilot and ignored the pain in his eyes. He jumped out of the bed and quickly pushed through Tatara and the Aogiri member and proceeded to run down the hallway. The Aogiri members guarding the door stood confused to see the running child.

Everyone stared at the doorway bewildered by what just transpired. "Hmm, I've never seen one do that before," Kanou snickered. Tatara turned to the grunt with a glare.

"Well!? Go after him already!" he barked at the Aogiri member. The grunt jumped back, shaking in their shoes.

"Y-Yes sir!" They quickly fled the room after the child. The doctor chuckled as he walked to the door. He glanced at the red-eyed ghoul.

"You know they're not going to catch him." Tatara stared at the doctor and sighed, begrudgingly agreeing with him. He fled out the door with the doctor walking casually behind him.

* * *

 _'The Aogiri! What are the Aogiri doing here?! Does that mean there are ghouls here too?!'_

 _'Of course there are ghouls here, idiot. Everyone in the Aogiri are ghouls!'_

 _'Well I'm sorry, I'm panicking right now!'_

 _'Then maybe you should stop talking to yourself and-RUN FASTER!_

The young boy slaps himself as he keeps running.

What was he doing here? How'd he even get here? The last thing he remembered was passing out in the streets and now he's here. And why the hell is he wearing a hospital gown!

The boy skids to a stop at an intersection. He can go straight or right. As he thinks about his choices he hears the patter of feet behind him. _'Screw it! Right!'_

He turns and runs like his life depends on it, probably because it does. They look for any type of change in direction. He couldn't just go right forever. After all, their ghouls, he can't outrun a ghoul.

But he can _outsmart_ them.

As if lady luck was listening to his prayers, he sees a doorway, not too far from here. He rolls into the room as fast as he can. But instead of the cold hard ground, he was greeted with air. The boy looks down mid-jump and sees that the room was a room, but inside of it was a huge hole to another floor. He tries to roll back but it's too late. He falls face first on the dusty concrete below with a resounding ' _thud'._

He tries to lift his body off the ground only to be stopped by the burning sensation in his eyes to come back. It seems the adrenaline from running has run out. He winces as he holds his eyes in a faint attempt to make the pain go away.

His struggles immediately stop when he hears footsteps from above him. The child holds his breath as the footsteps run away from his location. Which seemed to take forever in his panicked mind.

As the footsteps disappear, they let out a shaky sigh. He reluctantly stands up through the pain and walks out of the dusty room. He leans up against the wall as he puts pressure on his eyes.

Why was it hurting so much? And the thing that made it worse was that the feeling kept changing. The pain level stayed the same, but the way the pain transmitted itself to his nerves and brain changed and morphed. His left eye was still the worst as it now held a throbbing rhythm that rang through his head. He took slow, labored breaths as he tries to think of a plan.

He outsmarted his pursuer, for now anyway. Those ghouls could sniff him out like a dog if they wanted to. He knew that they could all too well. All he needs to do is lose his scent, which is easier said than done and find a way out of here. He can't be that far from civilization.

As the boy contemplates his situation, he passes an open window.

Their eyes widen and they trace back to the window. As they lean out the opening trying to find their bearings in the area, only to discover...

That he's in the forest.

"I'M IN THE GOT DAMN FOREST!" he yells out the window. He quickly covers his mouth and hoped nobody heard him. He walks away from the window and curses to himself. Things just got a lot more complicated for him.

So now he has to find an exit without getting caught. While simultaneously navigating out of a _h_ _uge_ forest. Yeah, cause that was going to be easy.

But on the bright side, the pain in his eyes has...lessened. He just needed to stay calm, not panic and everything would be fine, right? Even now he thought he saw an opening.

It was a large doorway with a maroon curtain. He'll take anything he could right now. He peels apart the curtains hopefully.

The room was filled with Aogiri. The child looks, stone-faced, at the crowd of ghouls. "Hey, who's that?" The boy looks up and sees's there were some ghouls on some type of podium. The person who was talking was a young teenager with messy purple hair, leather hoodie jacket and black pants along with knee high boots.

A short girl in a red cloak covered head to toe in bandages crouched on the floor. Standing next to her was a giant of a man with the signature red cloak, but his face was covered with a mask that had huge teeth and tiny slits for nostrils.

The child takes a deep breath and walks away. "Nope, juuust nope."

The ghouls stare where the child left with varying degrees of confusion. Ayato runs his hand through his hair. "Hey, wasn't that the human Tatara brought back a few days ago?"

"I think so. It seems he escaped," Eto clarified. Ayato sighed as he stepped off the podium. He knew the procedure for escaping Aogiri members, can't be that different.

He points into the crowd of ghouls. "Okay, you, you, you and you. Come with me," Ayato commanded. The four stood up and followed the ghoul out the door.

Meanwhile, the young patient stumbled through the old hallway. At this point, his brain just gave up. He couldn't outrun them even if he tried. They turn their head and see a stairway. He walks down the stairs calmly all the way to the bottom.

The bottom floor was large and clear. There were two doors that led to the outside. Although he still had to get through the woods, so escape just went out the window. He then heard multiple footsteps behind him.

He nonchalantly turns his head and sees Ayato with four masked ghouls behind him. The child keeps walking forward and picks up a large rock with both hands.

"You know," he said in a bored tone. "I kind of gave up on escaping now." He turns around with the rock in his hands. "But I'm sure as hell not gonna let you kill me."

Ayato smirked. "Well, lucky for you kid we _can't_ kill you as long as that damn doctor finds you important." He turns towards the ghouls,"That goes for you guys too. Use your kagune and it's on your ass." The ghouls nodded and one of the larger ghouls walked towards him.

"Okay, make it easy and just come with us." The Aogiri member made the mistake of leaning down to the child's level. He raises the rock and slams it on the ghoul mask, cracking it. The ghoul's body slumps over unconscious as the boy stands surprised.

 _'Wow, that's usually only enough to stun them,'_ he thought. An another ghoul walks up to the boy with his Koukaku reflexively unsheathed. Like a sixth sense, the boy dodges to the side, avoiding his kagune.

"You brat, he was trying to be nice!"

"Hey, dipshit! What did I _just_ say!" Ayato barked.

The ghouls turn towards him. "Oh! Um, sorry bo-." The child slams the rock on top of the ghoul's head. He falls back lifeless as his kagune dissolves. The young boy arched a brow. He looked down at the unconscious bodies. _'Either these ghouls are really weak, or I got stronger... probably the first one.'_ It wouldn't be the first time he was able to deal with a ghoul because they were hungry or weak. The last two ghouls ran towards the small boy.

The child smirks, reels back and throws the rock. The ghouls move out of the way only for the rock to curve and hit one them in the face. "Agh, Dammit!" one screeches as he holds his throbbing head. The boy laughs and sticks his tongue at them.

"Ha, jokes on you, I throw baseballs in my spare time!" he mocked. The last Aogiri ghoul runs up and grabs the boy by the collar. A red tail shoots out from his back inches away from the child's face.

"Okay, I've had enough of this human brat!" His tail reels back. The child closes his eyes awaiting the attack. He hears the slice and cutting of flesh, but not his own. The child opens his eyes and sees the ghoul pierced by multiple black shards.

He drops down to the ground confused as Ayato complained with his kagune out. "Seriously, were you guys born idiots are something!? I tell you not to use your kagune and you use it. I tell you not to kill him and you try to kill him! You better hope this kid killed the rest of you before I get the chance to!"

While Ayato rambles on, the boy jumps up and starts running full speed. He clotheslines the Aogiri member holding his throbbing head, knocking him to the ground.

Ayato looks through his rage and sees the patient running towards the door. He growls and appears next to the boy in a blur. He reels back and aims a kick to the back of his head. The child immediately ducks under the kick without even looking. Ayato growls and aims a roundhouse kick to his stomach. The boy didn't have the athletics to jump over the leg and gets hit by it full force. He falls to the side, unconscious.

Ayato walks up to the boy and picks him by the collar. Ayato smirked. "You're a real handful, you know that kid." He slings the body over his shoulder.

"Kirishima," he heard someone say. Ayato looks up and sees Tatara walking down the stairs, the doctor not far behind.

"Oh, Tatara." He points towards the body. "Don't worry, I didn't kill the kid."

Tatara nods as he looks around the room. He raises an eyebrow at the fallen Aogiri. "Did _he_ kill them," he asked without a thread of care.

Ayato shrugged. "I don't know about kill, but they're definitely out cold." The ghoul chuckled,"It was pretty funny actually, he knocked them all out with a rock."

"A rock?" the doctor pondered rubbing his chin. "He was in recovery longer than most of my patients I test the strength of, so it makes sense his ghoul characteristics have activated. And the adrenaline probably negated the effects of the Rc suppressants."

Tatara nods and looks at Ayato. "Bring him with us, I know where we can put him." Ayato nods and follows Tatara and the doctor with the unconscious child over his shoulder.

* * *

He felt sick. Like his stomach was trying to turn itself inside out. He subconsciously clasped at his hospital gown as he began to open his eyes. The boy's dull senses first felt the cold sensation of the table against his cheek. A comical string of drool connects his face to the table as he slowly sits up. He rubbed his eyes as he looks around the room.

It honestly had a sinister atmosphere to it. There was a single light source that shined over his head. And as he felt around him, he noticed that he was sitting in an armless metal chair just as uncomfortable and plain as the table.

"Wakey, Wakey~," he heard from a honeyed female voice.

The young boy finally looks in front of him and see's a small child or woman sitting on the other side of the table. It was hard to tell with how short she was. As he squinted at the robed figure he realized that it was the same girl that was in that room filled with Aogiri. The only exception being that the giant masked man no longer stood by her side. That thought alone made him feel safer but anyone in the Aogiri can't be taken lightly, even this girl.

His gaze drifts to the closed door leading out. He thought about running again but his sore stomach told him otherwise. Not only that, but the only reason he was able to outrun them the first time was because he had a head start. But now he has no such luxury. He looks back to the small woman who was looking straight at and through him, propped on her elbow.

The child had seen that look from other ghouls before. She was studying him, for what reason he had no idea. For whatever reason it was, it better involve the reason he's here.

The bandaged ghoul could see the frustration on his face, making her laugh. Her giggle seemed to echo in the barren room as she stated the obvious to the boy,"I take it your angry."

Said child pouts at the ghoul. "Of course I am, you guys kidnapped me," he mumbled.

The robed woman laughs again, greatly unnerving him. "It's not really our fault."

The boy gave her a look of pure bewilderment. He couldn't tell if she kidding or not. "How is it _not_ your fault?" he asked cynically.

She shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "Well, you _were_ the one to pass out on the streets with no concern for your own safety. How irresponsible of your parents to let a child explore so recklessly." The child widens his eyes in surprise and it quickly turns into a scowl. "Oh, I take it you don't have parents, do you?"

She hit the nail on the coffin with her guess. The child felt his anger rise at the uncomfortable subject. She continues, seeing his anger clearly, "No wonder you ran so much. You've probably been running your entire life. And now you've been captured ghouls probably _responsible_ for the death of your parents. Unfortunate, wouldn't you say," she said condescendingly. He turns away from her and grinds his teeth.

 _'Shut up! What would you know?'_ he yelled internally. It was all too easy for him to get flustered on this subject. And as if on cue, his left eye started to burn in sync with his anger. But this time it wasn't painful. It was invigorating, strengthening, maybe even exciting.

And the next thing she said made his blood boil. "That must've been a very miserable and lonely life for you. In a twisted way, it's almost like you aren't even alive. Considering the only people who truly loved you are dead now. It's almost like you...

 **Don't even exist**

The child slams his fist on the table, kakugan finally bared. He wanted to hit her, attack her, **KILL HER!** He refused to let his place in this world be questioned by this ghoul! She's a monster! What would she know about family or to be loved by someone? He doubted she even had the chance to have a family, what ghoul does!? SO...so...

The child's brain seemed to rewire his hatred into logic as he thought more on the subject. His expression began to calm becoming a bit more stoic in appearance. "...You know... You have no right to talk yourself," he pointed at the ghoul with jaded eyes.

"Oh? What do you mean?" she inquired, interested in his now calm disposition.

"Well, you're a ghoul, right? That has to suck," he said matter-of-factly.

The ghoul giggled at his bluntness of his words. "I am quite comfortable being a ghoul," she clarified proudly.

He calmly shook his head as he sat straighter in his seat, hands nestled in his lap. "That's not what I meant. I mean...ghouls aren't...born monsters. They go through their own experiences in their lives that make them who they are. But, because they're ghouls, they can't enjoy the life that most children should... And they hate the world because of that. So, while what happened to me can be considered bad luck. Your lives are destined to be terrible the day you're born." He gave the ghoul a condescending, shit-eating grin.

"If that's not a depressing life, then I don't know what is." The child finished with challenging eyes.

Neither of them spoke after that. They simply watched each other, waiting for someone to speak their piece. Until the ghoul laughed, purely satisfied with his reply.

"You might have a point about that," the ghoul smiled behind her bandages. In contrast to her original smile, this one was kinder in a way. "What's your name?"

The boy's calm face involuntarily twitched at the woman's strange change of tone. "My...name? Why do want to know my name?"

"I'm just curious. Is there a problem with that?" she asked. The child grumbles to himself making Eto cup her ear, "What was that?"

The child grumbles again as he looks at the woman. "My name...is Koshiro Koriyama. What's your name?" he asked, not really wanting an answer.

"It's Eto, I prefer not to use my last name." Koshiro hummed in acknowledgment as he looked away from her. He wasn't in much of a mood to talk with the woman after their previous little bout.

She pressed on regardless of his discomfort. "So, Koriyama-chan~," she said teasingly. He grumbled at the use of the honorific. He's always found them so unnecessary, _especially_ that one. "What is it that makes you happy in this world?"

He arched an eyebrow at her question. "I'll take any happiness I can get really. You can't exactly be picky in my situation."

"Oh really? Do tell."

Koshiro grits his teeth thinking of an example. "Well, when I was little I got really happy getting a new toy. And now I get just as happy finding food that isn't generally rotten. Is that a good enough example for you?" he said spitefully

Eto giggled for a reason unknown to him. "Yes, that's fine. But I have another question for you." She leaned forward in her chair. "What would you do to preserve your happiness?"

Koshiro looked confused and shifted in his seat. "I don't know, anything I guess."

"Anything, huh? Would you _kill_ someone to preserve your happiness?" she says a bit too cheerfully for him to be comfortable with.

"Um, well," he twirled a finger through his hair nervously. "I've never been in a situation where I would have to. I would fight for my happiness, though."

Eto chuckled as she leaned back in her chair. "That's a good answer." Koshiro looked confused by her response as Eto stepped out of her chair and walked towards the door. She turns around to face him one last time.

"It was nice to meet you, Koriyama-chan~," she says sweetly before leaving the room.

She giggles as she stretches her legs. "Well, he was an interesting one. What did you think?" Eto turns towards Tatara, who was standing by the door listening to them the entire time.

"Depends, did you see his eyes?" Tatara asked, leaning up against a wall.

"Yes, I was able to draw them out. They were simple, but in a good way," Eto clarifies. "I know what he wants out of life and because of that I think we can make good use out of this one."

"If you think so, I have no objections," Tatara said as he began walking with Eto beside him. "Also, the doctor said that we won't be able to speed up his ghoul transformation. Opening his Rc pathways with torture could end with him undergoing a body mutation when he heals and that he was _luckily_ able to avoid failure during the surgery. Although that it is just a concerned theory of his."

She shook her head, seeing no point to torture the boy. "It's fine, I have a feeling he'll grow into it on his own time. All we need to do is wait."

* * *

Koshiro had his head down on the metal table, peacefully sleeping. Despite how dark it was, the room was tranquil, very little ever disturbed the silence. The only constant interruption was an Aogiri member who'd check on him every hour or so. Each time they left, he heard the distinct sound of a lock clicking. Which meant there was either a lock on the door or a key. Regardless of which, he couldn't escape if he tried.

"So the kid is in here, right?" An Aogiri member asked outside the door.

"Yeah, he's in here," another one replied. "Here's the keys." He took out a key attached to a small ring and handed it to his comrade.

They took the key and stuck it in. The key turned with a satisfying ' _click'_ as the door opened. One of them quietly peeked their head in and saw the child. "Ok, he's asleep." He withdrew his head and closed the door as quietly as he could. "It's hard to believe a kid like that was able to cause so much trouble."

"I know what you mean. I heard the people who couldn't catch him are going to have a _talk_ with Ayato." Both of the ghouls shivered at the thought.

"Those poor fools," he said honestly as he reached for the key.

"Gotta give props to the kid though. I heard he knocked them all out with a rock."

The Aogiri member jerked the key out in surprise. "Geez, a rock?!"

"That was my reaction too! Do you think they'll let him join the Aogiri?"

"Wouldn't surprise me if they did. I've already seen a handful of kids here already." He tosses the keys back to his friend. "Now come on. We need to keep making rounds."

The Aogiri member nods. "Yeah, you're right." They walk away side by side, continuing their patrol.

In the room, Koshiro peeks one eye open in the dark. He heard them walk away, but no ' _click_ '.

...They forgot to turn the key.

Koshiro let out a smirk as he stepped out of the chair. He pressed his ear against the crack of the door to hear any voices or footsteps. After hearing nothing for a good minute he opened the door.

As he steps out, he looks toward left and right. If he heard correctly, they went right. So Koshiro turned left and started walking rather calmly. He was in no rush anyways.

He saw a flight of stairs that led up towards the roof. He shrugged and walked up the steps, not even trying to hide the sound of it. On the top of the stairs, lied await a door that led to the outside. Koshiro took hold of the door knob and opened it, immediately getting assaulted with the cool night air. The sun was just about set on the horizon. ' _Good, I didn't miss it_ ,' he thought as he walked towards the edge of the building and sat down.

He kicked his bare feet over the edge as he looked at the sunset. It was his favorite time of the day and never wanted to miss it. And for the first time today, he let out a real smile as the sun faded. The dark soon came across the sky as Koshiro hunched over with his eyes closed. He peacefully drifted off to a dreamless sleep under the faint light of the stars and the moon.

* * *

"Come on we need to find him!" An Aogiri member yelled from one of the lower floors of the building.

Koshiro's sleeping face flinched at the new noise as he opened his eyes. He looked up with a tired gaze and saw the mass array of stars over him. It would've been peaceful if it wasn't for the person behind him.

He lets out a dense sigh through his nose before falling on his back. He wasn't really in the mood to talk, but he doubted she would give him the choice.

"Eto," he yawned. "Is that you?" Koshiro asked, hoping for no answer. He heard an amused chuckle coming from the stairway as the bandaged woman stepped out.

"You have sharp ears, Koriyama-chan~."

He subconsciously flinched at the honorific. "Yeah, one of the many new perks I'm realizing I have," he said with his voice devoid of emotion.

Eto teetered back and forth absent-mindedly with her hands clasped behind her back. "Oh, you figured it out then?" Koshiro glared at her as best he could.

"I think I do, but I wouldn't mind you _explaining_ it to me," his voice was lined in venom. Eto giggled at his aggressive tone and skipped over to the small boy.

"What was the first sign?" she asked comprehensively as she knelt by his head.

He closed his eyes as he tried to remember. "It was when you left. I was still angry after our little _talk..._ Then I...saw it...in the reflection of the table." Eto chuckled and pointed to his left eye.

"It's called your kak-u-gan," she sounded it out like a teaching a child their first words. And very much like a child, he seemed perplexed by the strange word.

Koshiro puts a hand over his left eye. "A kakugan?" he questioned innocently. "So that's what it's called... Wait, I've seen ghouls have two though. I only have one."

"That's because some ghouls only have one," she clarified. The child seemed to think about how that was possible before giving up. He simply looked up at the sky looking rather placid. "You seem to be taking this a lot better than I thought you would."

The child shrugged and closed his eyes. "I had some time to think about it," he said numbly. It was the truth. When he saw it, he didn't want to believe it. He tried blinking it way, poking it, nothing worked. The fact that it didn't go away made him even angrier, which made it stay longer. And right before he felt like he was going to explode with anger, a female Aogiri member opened the door to check on him. They were maskless and had a look of sympathy on their face. They told him that everything was going to be ok, that ghouls tried escaping all the time and many of the superiors have been lenient lately. With that, she left and locked the door.

A part of him thanked the woman for trying to give him hope in his situation. But another part of him shattered at those words.

' _She thought I was a ghoul...'_ At that point, it was hard to deny to it. He was a... He wasn't human anymore. His life, in a few hours, had completely changed. Just like when his parents...

He clenched his fist at the thought of it. Koshiro glared at Eto with a cold expression. "I know it's your fault that I'm like this."

Eto shook her head much to his confusion. "Actually, it was completely the doctor's idea of doing this to you."

The boy furrowed his brow in thought. He briefly remembered seeing somebody who looked like a doctor when he woke up here. But why would he turn him into a...

Koshiro took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Why would he do that?" he asked tonelessly. Eto shrugged in the response to the question.

"It was really just a test. In all honesty, you weren't supposed to survive, you just got lucky."

"Lucky!?" He jumped onto his knees and stared straight at Eto. "How in the world is _that_ lucky?"

Eto chuckled and flicked his forehead, making him flinch. "Well, you could've died for one. And considering how close you were from dying before, I'd consider that pretty lucky."

Koshiro crossed his arms and looked up at the sky. "Of course you'd find that lucky," he said solemnly.

"Well, you gave off the impression that you didn't hate ghouls. Yet you seem to be pretty irritated by it," Eto said as she too stared at the night sky.

"Honestly, I don't. I just naturally avoidance against them since they've been trying to kill me all these years." He looked back at Eto. "I do hate that against my will, my entire world just got turned upside down and now I don't know what to do anymore."

Eto was silent for a moment, thinking of a way to answer. "Well, you could always try your hand at killing yourself. You'd die with your humanity in a way," Eto said nonchalantly. Koshiro scowled at Eto's words.

"Ok, first of all, I will not do that. And second of all," he points at her face. "Why the hell were you smiling when you said that?"

Eto openly laughed at his confusion. "I just wanted to see how you'd react," she said sincerely. Koshiro gave her an "are you serious face" and looked away from her.

"Ok, this conversation is now officially over, goodbye now," he waved farewell to her wanting to leave the conversation at that. Eto giggled almost psychotically as she leaned towards the boy.

"Are you sure? I had one last proposition for you~." Koshiro sighed and turned his head towards the ghoul and sees her face inches from his. Her bandaged visage was curved into a mischievous grin. He didn't back away from her and simply quirked an eyebrow.

"And what would that _proposition_ be?" he asked simply as if the situation wasn't uncomfortable. Telling how close she was to his face, he probably wouldn't like what she had to say.

Eto leaned an inch closer. "I would like you to join the Aogiri," she said in a whisper.

Koshiro didn't look surprised, he simply looked blank. He gazed up towards the stars not really knowing how to answer. What ten year old would in this situation? Everything in his life just got stripped away from him. And now he has to choose an entirely different way of life.

There was only one thing he could do, right?

He stood up and stretched his legs. Koshiro looked down at Eto with dull eyes. "You say it as if I have a choice."

Eto stood alongside him, dusting off her cloak. "Well, you technically do. You could simply try to return to the life you had before."

Koshiro quickly shook his head. He refused to let that be an answer. "I learned that in this world you either adapt or you die." He looked straight into Eto's eyes with a fierce determination. "And I choose to adapt in this world than live a lie." His voice was cold and emotionless. Even the smallest childlike flare he had before was lost. "In other words... I'll take your offer."

Eto sported a sly smile, all too pleased with his answer. She gestured for him to follow her. "In that case, follow me." She cheerfully walked towards the stairway with Koshiro close behind her.

"I want you to know that I don't plan on being your little lap dog," Koshiro clarified, as he took the first step down. Eto giggled and turned to face him.

"Don't worry, you won't be." She turned back around, smirking to herself fiendishly. "You'll be our little Soldier Boy~," she said teasingly.

 _"Soldier boy?"_ he repeated. "What do you mean by that?" he questioned, suspicious of her meaning.

Eto brushed aside his worries with a wave of her hand. "Oh, don't worry about it, Koriyama-chan~," Eto said sweetly as she walked faster down the steps. Koshiro grumbled as he followed the ghoul.

"Can you please stop calling me Koriyama-chan?"

"Why? It's so cute."

"It's annoying!"

"That's what makes it cute."

* * *

Koshiro opened a door that led into a small, well-kept room. There was one bed off to the side and a decent wood desk with drawers on each side, pressed up against the wall. Other than that it was pretty empty. As he looked around the room, Eto stepped from behind him. "So I have to ask," he turned around to face her. "Are you going to tell them that you found me because they're still freaking out over there." He figuratively gestured behind him towards the distant panicking Aogiri that they were able to sneak past.

"I'll let them panic for a little while longer. They deserve it after letting you get away," Eto said a bit _too_ happily _._ Koshiro hummed and scratched his cheek in thought. _'Probably shouldn't tell her how I got out then. There's no telling what she would do to them."_ He internally cringed as he envisioned the thought and looked towards Eto as she began gesturing around the small room.

"This will be your room as long as you're here. You'll get used to the size," she told him. Koshiro nodded as he sat on his new bed.

The boy studied the room with varying degrees of suspicion. Something seemed off.

His gaze returns to the ghoul with his arms crossed. "You know, this place in pretty neat compared to the rest of the building," he pointed out to her.

"That's because I used to use this room," she clarified to the young boy. "But I don't use it anymore, so I'm letting you have it," she said in a sweet tone.

Koshiro opens his mouth to respond only to bite his tongue. He didn't know how to respond, he felt so...confused. And he hated it.

"Why?" he asked. "Why are you helping me?"

Eto leaned up against the desk. "Is there something wrong with helping you?"

"Yes!" he shouted, flailing his arms. "You have no reason to help me! Plus, you're not exactly the most trustworthy person I've met."

"Oh really?" she said in a mocking tone. "And what makes you think I'm not trustworthy, Koriyama-chan?" Eto gave the boy a taunting smile as he grumbled to himself. Besides the taunting, he couldn't find an actual reason not to trust to her. It didn't feel like he _hated_ her per se, but something just made him cautious towards her. It would be best if he followed his instincts like always.

The young boy shook his head as he stared at Eto. "I just don't trust you," Koshiro finally replied, to which Eto responded with a laugh. Almost immediately, she suddenly appeared right next to him on the bed making him nearly choke on his tongue. He broke into a coughing fit from the surprise as Eto chastises his behavior.

"Koriyama-chan~, that isn't very nice. Haven't you ever heard not to judge a book by its cover?" she chided.

Koshiro coughed, trying to steady his voice. "Yeah, of course I've heard of it, so what?" he asked. Eto playfully flicked his head..

"Well, did you know, most people only say that because they can't do it _correctly_?" she told him with a grin. Koshiro didn't respond but gave her an inquisitive brow. Seeing it as a sign to continue, Eto gladly explained what she meant. "For example, when you look and judge somebody, it is much like judging a book. The cover can be misleading and the inside can be something entirely unexpected."

"But some books tell you exactly what they are by the cover and only leave out their more... _finer_ and more important details. And those are the ones you need to look for."

Koshiro nodded along with Eto's explanation. "Ok, I see what you mean. But why are you telling me?"

"Well, I've just noticed that you're surprisingly observant for your age. Making assumptions about your situation whenever you can when most people wouldn't be able to rely on their instincts alone."

Koshiro snorted and crossed his arms."Yeah, well, here's an observation for ya'. You're surprisingly short." Eto smiles and gives a quick flick to his forehead. "Gah! Fine, what's your point?" Koshiro says as he rubs his forming bruise.

Eto giggles and points to his left eye. "Other than you being a _ghoul_ now. Do you know why I wanted you to join the Aogiri?" The young boy shrugged actually wondering the answer himself.

"I find you strange," Eto said. Koshiro internally scoffed, _'Your one to talk.'_

"How exactly am I strange?"

"Well, when you first got here, you ran around terrified like a lost child. But when you're trapped in a corner where nowhere else to run, you simply pick up a rock and knock out three ghouls. That's pretty strange."

Koshiro furrowed his brow, seeing what the ghoul was getting at. "Hey! That doesn't mean I'm weird!" Koshiro interrupted. "And besides those were some the weakest ghouls I've ever see-" Eto pressed a hand on his protesting mouth.

"I'm not saying that protecting yourself is strange. It's strange that a child of your age, defended yourself so fearlessly. With the way you acted, I'd dare say you fought ghouls before." Koshiro made no attempt to deny the claim and only looked away from the ghoul. He didn't need to look at her to see the wide smirk on her face. "Ah, I was correct, you have dealt with ghouls before, maybe even killed a lucky few. I guess it makes sense, how else would a child live all alone without rallying behind the CCG." Koshiro swatted Eto's hand away from his mouth.

"It's less that I know how to deal with them and more I've learned how to run away," he insistently defended. Eto smiled and leaned her head on her hands.

"You know it only makes it even more suspicious when you tried to deny it," Eto pointed out to him.

Koshiro crossed his arms, "I'm not trying to deny anything."

Eto only snickered. "It's not good to lie, Koyama-chan," she responded. Koshiro looked he was going to retort until Eto appeared in front of him again inches from his face. He wasn't as surprised this time and exhaled calmly as he subconsciously clenched on his hospital gown.

"And what would I be lying about?" he asked coolly.

Eto smiled, glad that his perseverance didn't falter. "You try to act more childish than you really are," she responded. Koshiro nodded numbly showing that he wouldn't interrupt. "From what I've seen, you completely switch from acting like a foolish child to knowing and aware," she told him.

"Because when I look at you, I don't see a sad orphan left to rot on the streets, just barely surviving. I see a person who has adapted and played with the cards dealt to him in the best way he could think of. Yet you are constantly torn between accepting this new life or yearning to go back to the happy days when you had a family. So instead of going through the moral conflict of choosing, you simply splice the two wants and personalities together," she interlocked her fingers for example.

"So you constantly change from having the same wants and answers to a problem like a child would and yet also try to handle things in a experienced and controlled way." Koshiro chewed on his cheek as he continued to process the information given to him. "That's why I find you strange and interesting." Eto wore a crooked smile,"I want to see what to see what life you'll choose in the end."

Koshiro stared at Eto blankly knowing the truth in her words. He turned his gaze to his feet. "...Your right," he said, his voice dry of emotion. "I don't know what type of life I want to have. But honestly what ten year old does?" The child tightly clasped their hands.

"I shouldn't have to know!" he yelled not at the ghoul, but at himself. He breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down.

He ran his hands through his blonde locks. "I've... survived so many things in my life. The death of my parents, of Ms. Sanako who taught me how to survive and cope after my parents died," he said shakily refusing to let himself cry. "And then I had to deal with Ghouls and thugs who tried to kill or rob me of what little money I had..."

"But I always survived. I would always get back up and try again and again to find something worthwhile, something that could give me a reason to keep trying on living. Because I was always just _so_ lucky," Koshiro mocked himself sardonically. "Hell, even now I miraculously survived some special surgery that turned me into a ghoul!" he slammed his fist on his leg. "Why!? ...Why did it have to happen to me... What makes me so got damn special?"

"So would you give up your life simply to go back to your happy times you had before," Eto asks. Koshiro thought of his answer long and hard as anxiety coursed through his body.

"No. There'd be no point, nothing would change. It would either get worse or the situation would be entirely different..." He let his head drop into his hands. "It never gets better for me, only worse."

Eto knelt down in front of the young boy. "Then why not give up? If life is so painful for you then why keep on moving forward?"

"Because I-I want to be happy. I deserve to be happy... But how can I," he whimpered as he felt tears threatening to spill over. His inner trembling only stopped when he felt a warm hand on his head.

"Of course you can be happy. You're a ghoul now, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

"I'm not scared it's just I...," his shivering returned in pulsing shakes. "I'm just tired of everything changing. I hate being so alone. It's painful and I hate it."

His frail voice echoed in the small room. But the one thing that was never heard was the sound of him crying. Koshiro refused to let his tears fall no matter how sad he felt. If he hated anything, it would be crying. To him, it was weakness and he refused to make himself weak. The young boy only bit on his knuckle and gripped on his hair, replacing the want to cry with pain.

Eto was silent and only watched the young boy trying to cope with his emotions. They were both quiet until Eto finally removed her hand from his head. "Well, maybe this could help." He hears the sound of something rustling before he felt something tap on his head.

Koshiro reflexively looked and let go of his blonde locks.

In front of him was... A book?

"It's a journal," Eto explained readily. "It's for you to write your memories in." Koshiro only blinked as he looked over the plain cover.

He swallowed concentrating his still wobbly voice. "W-Why would I need to do that?"

"Because, even if everything changes, you'll still remember it. Your memories will never change and even if they do," Eto gently set the book in his lap. "This journal will help you remember." Koshiro seemed shocked by her words and looked down to the notebook. He gingerly picked it up and held it to his chest.

It was a way for him to remember, a way to let things stay the same. A very small smile crept on his cheeks by the thought alone.

In a hushed whisper, he said "Thank you" and hugged the book closer.

"No need to thank me. Think of it as a gift for being entertaining to talk to," Eto said and began walking towards the door. "I suggest you get some rest Koriyama-chan. You might need it for tomorrow." The child numbly nodded as Eto cracked open the door. "Goodnight, Koshiro-chan," the ghoul said before shutting the door behind her, leaving only the boy.

Koshiro sat there quietly, still holding the book in his arms. He chuckled to himself as he thought about previous events.

Eto played him. Or at least tried to.

She exploited his weaknesses, questioned his motives and even got him a gift. Opposite of the probably desired effect, it made him wary of her even more. Not afraid, only wary.

It kind of reminded him of a spider, sitting patiently in an intricate web of lies or persuasion. You can easily avoid them, but they're still everywhere and can bite you in your sleep when you least expect it.

All in all he was still happy to receive a gift though, even if that was planned as well. And if Eto was as smart as he thinks, she knows that he was still untrusting of her. His faith in the ghoul would remain a fickle bridge for now. In the meantime, might as well check out the notebook Eto gave him. Koshiro withdrew the book from his chest and gave it a good look over.

It had a sleek brown leather cover and actually seemed to be new. Plus the notebook wasn't really big, it was quite thin. And it was just small enough to conveniently fit in your pocket.

Koshiro opened the small notebook and was surprised to find how many pages it had. They were exquisitely thin, but tough enough to easily write on and were so compact that they held a good hundred or more pages. He couldn't help but respect the craftsmanship of this small journal.

Which made him question why Eto gave this to him in the first place. Despite how sneaky this woman is there's no way she bought a new journal _just_ for him. Unless she had already bought it before and just decided to give it to him now. Which still didn't make any sense considering this must've cost a lot of money. At least in poor orphan standards.

Did she really give it to him because he was _entertaining_ to talk to? Koshiro groaned and hit his head with the notebook. _'I need to calm down. For the first time here I'm not worried about somebody coming to get me. I should just relax and worry about everything else tomorrow.'_ He nodded to himself and stood up from the bed to stretch his legs.

As he stood, he noticed a gleam of light on his new desk. He walked forward and noticed it was just a pen. _'Did she leave that for me?'_ He shrugged at the convenience and picked up the pen.

Koshiro laid his journal on the desk with the pen in hand. He briefly froze and stared at the book wondering what to write. He could write about his past, but... He still didn't feel entirely comfortable writing about that, let alone talk about it. So he could just write about the present. But how could he describe everything that's happened to him. "Hell, I barely remember how to spell my own name. What can I write with a limited vocabulary like mine?" It was times like this when he really wished he got to go school. But as luck would have it, he became an orphan right before it was time and was too emotionally broke up before he could enroll. And then Ms. Sanako died and he had to live on the streets...

He shook his head away from those thoughts and focused on writing. He turned the pages until he was in the middle of the journal. It took awhile to think of what to write, but it was just what he needed. So he would never forget this moment. If he's going to have to go through this, then the least the future him could do was remember it. So with careful (careful as they could be) drawn out letters he made sure they would.

It...cha..nged...aga..in

It took a painfully long minute just to write three words. But he felt that this was going to be enough. For his future self to remember that even if things change, to always stay the same. Or at least try to. He could only hope really that he would live that long. But like Eto said, he's a ghoul now. He didn't fully understand why he never _hated_ them like many other humans. Maybe he's grown to respect them in a way that he can't be disgusted with.

Koshiro leaned back and groaned in frustration, _'Ugh, I think way too much. I need some rest.'_ The young boy looks towards one of the first sanitary beds he's seen in a long time and visibly drools at the thought of a comfortable sleep. _'I am done and there's nothing else to do sooo_.' Koshiro promptly gets up and falls face first onto his new bed, not even bothering to put his journal away.

"Let's just see if tomorrow is any better," he said dreamily before closing his eyes, finally resting in on this exhausting night.

 _Flashback end_

* * *

Isaac held his head in his hands as he leaned up against the wall. The small journal still tucked in between his legs. His blonde hair shadowed his eyes, which were blank and glazed over. No emotion to be found in their depths.

He...remembered everything. How could he forget? Why did he forget? Was he afraid of the truth?! Why...

Isaac stood from the corner of the ballroom, everyone was well asleep. With the journal in hand, he staked out in a steady stride not even bothering to put on his helmet. The empty halls echoed as he marched out. He quickly found the dressing room and donned his battle suit, refusing to leave without it.

The ghoul continued to stalk until he saw the front doors of Beacon. He steeled his resolve and kicked the doors open, nearly knocking them off their hinges. He marched down the steps and continued down the path of Beacon. He only stopped when his back was to the Beacon's statue.

He looked to the side and saw something he dearly hated every since he got here.

The moon. The first thing he saw when he came to this place.

Isaac collapsed onto all fours shivering to his core. "Damn it. God fucking damn it. Why?" he spoke to himself desperately. "Every fucking time. Why does it happen to me? Why..." Isaac whimpered and froze as he felt something warm run down his cheek. He lifted a hand and felt the dampness. The ghoul gave his hand a good hard look.

He was crying. He was actually crying. The new realization made Isaac let out a throaty chuckle. "I can't believe I'm crying, how childish of me," he mocked himself and dried his cheek. "I guess it doesn't matter how much stronger I get. I'll always be weak childish trash unfit to live a happy life." He openly laughed this time, reaching a maniac peak before dying down once again.

"What the hell am I even doing here, this isn't where I want to be, I want to go home." He savagely gritted his teeth, "But how can I when I don't know where to go!?" Blood drooled down his hands as he clenched his fists.

"Why...why aren't I happy here. Everything is so nice here. People are friendly, I'm not always getting chased down or attacked, I'm not even hated here! Everyone thinks I'm such a nice guy. Even Ozpin thinks I'm some lost child that's seen better days... So why?" He desperately asked himself again. "Why do I hate it here so much." As he said this, a red misty cloud began to rise over his body.

"I hate it here. I hate it so fucking much... Nothing makes sense here and I hate it," he growled as the cloud above his body became more violent flicking in random directions. "These people... I hate them, I've hated them all from the beginning. They're open books to read and manipulate. Not only that, but they're so weak!" He pounded his fist on the ground making a noticeable divot.

"They are so easy to kill it's not even challenge! They stand no chance against a ghoul like me, in fact," Isaac lifts and cranes his head back towards the school, "I bet I could kill them all right now. They're all sleeping, it would be so simple! It's not like I would care, I barely even know them. I could kill them all and not feel a thing!" He felt something pulse inside him as his cloud grew feet above his head.

A psychopathic smile began to adorn his face as he began to reach a fever pitch. "Why should I care!? I barely even know them and they barely know me! I could kill them all, eat them all! **I could tear them all apart!** " he screeched to himself as he felt his Rc cells run through his body exhilarated by his blood lust, waiting to be used.

"So why, why won't I? Nothing would be stopping me... Is it because that's not who I am?" he asked himself expecting an answer. He tore at his blonde locks in rage.

"THEN WHAT THE HELL AM I?!"

 _"You're a ghoul now, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore."_

Isaac's breath caught as he heard the feminine voice in his head. "...Mother?" There was no reply to his question, only silence. He dearly remembered the voice of Eto and thought about her words.

"I...am a ghoul?"he questioned the open air as his grin shrunk into a neutral expression. "Yes, I am a ghoul. That will never change I will always be that."

 _'What does it mean to be a ghoul?'_ Isaac heard a familiar deep voice ask him.

 _'Tartara,'_ Isaac thought as he lifted his face from the ground and onto his knees. The ghoul looked comprehensively at the full moon, as if he was trying to understand it. "A ghoul is one of the deadliest predators known to man. We feast on their flesh and have abilities and animalistic perceptions that make us superhuman." He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as finally stood up. "And when predators are put into a new environment, they do not cower pathetically. They scour the new environment and make themselves known. They break the food chain and find a way to put themselves on top." The ghoul still remembered what he told him all those years ago.

Isaac finally opened his eyes, his kakugan glowing intensely. "But that is not my goal, no my goal is far more important," he told himself.

"I'll return back to the family that I lost by any means necessary. And if I have to kill everyone in my way to do that, then so be it! I'll show this world what a true monster is, a beast that can never be toppled or killed. Even if I have to destroy this world to do it, I **will** do it."

The ghoul actually felt the cloud pulse this time as it grew larger. He looked behind and saw the huge mass flowing behind him, large enough to overshadow the statue of Beacon. A small smile grew on his face as he knew exactly what it was. "So, my aura is powered off my negativity and anger, how fitting for a ghoul like me," he chuckled sinisterly as the thought came across his head,"Oohh that would work perfectly."

Isaac stood straight and tall as he stared at the moon, processing his goals. He would find a way home, he will prove his power, and will destroy everything that stood in the way. And it all would start tomorrow.

"And to think I would've chosen a life of mediocrity if I wasn't reminded of my journal and memories... I really should thank Blake in the morning."

He began to chuckle slowly before turning into a psychotic laugh that pierced the night.

* * *

 **A/N: Done.**

 **I'll be honest, I wasn't planning on writing this backstory. Well, not yet anyway. But to be honest, I felt that Isaac needed a bit of motivation. He doesn't seem like the type of person to take a totally peaceful life and the chance to start over.**

 **But with that out of the way, allow me to clear any confusion that might happen further in the story since Isaac was apart of the Aogiri.**

 **First of all, as much as it pains me to say it, Kaneki will not be present in this story. I know, I know, it pains me too, but it must be done. Actually, instead of him not existing, how 'bout his parents are still alive, he's completely sane, he marries Touka and Hide is his best man.**

 **Boom! Happy ending.**

 **Now with that out of the way, time to address a bigger thing in the story. Yamori (or Yakumo, whichever name you like better) is dead. And the reason I'm telling you this now because there's no reason not to. Before you ask, there is a plot relevant reason why he's dead and it holds great importance in the story. And he died reasonably too, he didn't get hit by a train or anything.**

 **That would be hilarious to see though.**

 **But I figured out story changing events without Yamori existing. If you remember correctly, Hide gave a tip to the CCG that Yamori was part of the Aogiri and the location by tracking him. Because Hide is awesome. But now with him gone, the CCG does not receive the tip of the Aogiri's supposed location. And of course they'll find it eventually, but I believe they'll take longer than they did before meaning Isaac probably has about two or three months.**

 **This counting the amount of time they existed that we didn't see, the amount of time Yamori spent torturing Kaneki, and the amount of time it takes for the CCG to make its move. And in that extra time they picked up the good ol' Doctor Kanou and the Aogiri will probably have more members from other wards. And the CCG will probably be more prepared to fight them as well. So it's a deal, deal.**

 **It's funny how one characters nonexistence can change the entire story. But I'll leave it at that and I hoped to explained everything that could cause confusion. Leave a review, favorite or whatever you want to. Honestly, seeing people reading this is good for me.**

 **And with that, I bid you adieu.**


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